Turning point
by female'wraith
Summary: One of the Atlantis scientists finds out she can regenerate after Wraith feeding.... Wraith&Human interraction.
1. Chapter 1 The Strike

**Chapter 1 The Strike**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for episode First Strike.**

**This chapter is not beta'd yet. **

Stargate activated. Through the ring emerged three marines carrying boxes and bags. They stepped down and from the shining puddle a woman followed them. The woman was obvious a scientist with grey uniform and blue T-shirt. She removed her sun glasses and took a look at the surrounding area - the MALP near the Stargate, the three marines and the forest.

"Isn't it X69-MG one of the most beautiful planets", she exclaimed with a wide smile on her face.

One of the marines, with Lieutenant marks on his uniform was trying to place one of the boxes in the MALP that have to be use as a carrier. He stopped and gave a smirk to the others two.

"You are new? Right, Doctor Langner?", he asked with a teasing grin. The others began to chuckle, exchanging knowing looks.

"Yes. I came to Atlantis last week, Lieutenant Tayler", the woman felt little emberaced with the low chuckle of the marines. The chuckle turned into laughing.

_'Fine. Just what I need! A bunch of narrow minded marines to make a joke with my inexperience_', thought Doctor Langner.

"Shall we proceed with something useful like to do our mission and explore that place or you intend to spend the day in laughing?", she interrupted their entertainment and pulling out an Ancient life-sign detector she went to the forest.

The Marines just loaded the boxes on the MALP and followed her.

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While they were going through the forest with Doctor Langner leading the group, one of the Marines whispered to the Lieutenant.

"I don't think it's a good idea to mock with her, Lieutenant. I heard that she is one of the new Chief scientists."

The Lieutenant turned his face to the soldier, "And what, Ericson? Another scientist. At least she has pretty legs. That makes the mission far better that the crap we had on that planet of children with Zelenka."

The three looked at the legs in grey trousers.

"I couldn't agree more", said with approval Ericson.

"And I have to say these are very pretty legs in combination with blond hair" the third soldier appreciated.

The group continued to walk in the forest.

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Ten minutes later they reached the ruins the MALP had been detected.

"Okay. Here is the source of the energy readings", she announced. "Let's unpack the appliances and start working".

While the Marines unloaded the MALP she began studying the ruins.

_'Definitely Ancient. But why there are no life signs? The researches indicated that the planets with Ancient outposts or cities always have human population_', she thought _'The only exception is Doranda_'

They built the camp and unpacked the devices. She scanned the structure and recorded the discoveries with camera.

"From the recent exploration I can say that this structure is an Ancient outpost. I am still unsure about its purpose but I think there is a chance these ruins have been some kind of mining facility. Because I am detecting a large deposit of metal ores in the surface", she dictated her thoughts in the voice recorder."We have still not found the source of the energy MALP has detected".

She was just to add something when Ericson cried "Doctor Langner, come to see this".

She turned the recorder off and put it in her pocket. The marines had gathered around something on the nearest hill towards the ruins. She hurried and climbed up. Reaching the top of the hill she noticed a shocking view. Organic device with sparkling lights was hidden in a stone chamber. In the centre of the device a big red light was blinking.

A sudden fear filled her. "This is a Wraith..", she couldn't finish the sentence when a familiar sound stopped her. She turned around and saw how the Stargate began to be dialed up and three Darts flew from the ring.

"Move!" Lieutenant Tayler cried out. Ericson grabbed her arm and start running to the woods. The Lieutenant reached first the cargo on the MALP and took out one of the weapons. As the first Dart came closer he managed to shoot it down and the Dart exploded in the air. The other marine was shooting the second Dart and also successfully aimed it. As the second Dart burst out, the Lieutenant shot down the third one. This Dart didn't explode but fall behind the hill.

Breathing with the rush of adrenaline Lieutenant ordered, "Ericson, you come with me. Davidson, you stay here and guard Doctor Langner."

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The two marines ran to the fallen Dart. Surrounding it Tayler aimed the cock-pit and noticed that the seat of the pilot is empty.

"He is not here. May be these Darts have some kind of escape system", he called to Ericson.

"Lieutenant, look", Ericson was pointing to the marks in the grass. The traces of black blood were forming a path. "The Wraith is wounded. And the marks are leading towards ..", he paused "the camp!" In this moment sounds of fire came from the ruins.

* * *

Doctor Langner was packing the appliances and was trying not to panic. Suddenly a strange feeling touched her mind and she froze. Turning around she saw a Wraith with a big wound on his chest to approach her. She screamed and the Marine turned around and began shooting. The bullets didn't stop the Wraith. He caught her for the shoulder and aimed his stunner and fired at the man. The Wraith blast hit the soldier in the arm and he fall without loosing consciousness. Wraith stunned marine's left hand and then turned and faced her.

The whole world concentrated in his eyes. Yellow eyes burning with hunger and anger. _'So this is the end_', she thought in disbelief 'All_ those years of learning, all those scientific awards, to end like that'_. As a background she heard the yelling of Davidson.

His hand slammed to her chest and the sucking sound filled her ears. She felt how something began to flow from her to his hand. She was looking in shock to his hand. The long green fingers with dark nails were stocked to the blue T-shirt. The metal finger-armors were glistening to the sun light. Then a bump thought crossed her mind.

_'Why I don't feel pain?'_

The stories about the Wraith feeding were always focusing on the pain of the human. She raised her eyes and saw the look of pure rapture on the Wraith face. He was obviously feeding and feeling pleasure. His mouth was opened showing sharp teeth. His eyes were closed in the ecstasy of feeding. She looked at his wound and saw how it heals. Strange but she didn't feel weaker or dying. As longer he fed the stronger she felt. All tiredness and even the headache she was suffering from the morning disappeared. Like someone was lifting up an enormous weight from her body. Sensing that something was different the Wraith opened his eyes and stared at her. Their eyes locked. For a single moment the time stopped. She noticed the strange tattoo on his left eyelid, cheek and forehead. Like a wave with three lines.

The moment was broken when Tayler and Ericson began shooting at the Wraith.

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Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed. 


	2. Chapter 2 Discovering

**Chapter 2 Discovering**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for episode First Strike.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia for her review.**

**This chapter is not beta'd yet.**

The bullets hit the back of the Wraith. Without loosing his grasp over her shoulder he turned his head and hissed to the marines. His hand continued sucking the life force. She saw how the new wounds heal.

Her mind registered everything but she still didn't feel pain or fear. Like she was just an observer. Suddenly one of the bullets hit her left shoulder and a tearing pain filled her mind. She screamed and tried to move and stop the bleeding.

The Wraith looked at her. His eyes were wide openеd like he was trying to take a decision. Surprisingly, he pulled his hand off her chest and avoiding the bullets ran to the forest.

Doctor Langner stood with trembling legs. The blood was flowing over her sleeve. With her right hand she pressed the wound. The world was spinning around her. '_I am loosing blood_' she thought. She always felt dizzy when looking at blood and wounds. Gathering her courage she took a look at her shoulder. The wound was bleeding and the jacket's sleeve of her grey uniform was coloring in red. Then she realized that the hand pressing the wound was not looking old!

While she was staring at her hand, the Lieutenant and Ericson reached her and Ericson held her right shoulder. The Lieutenant began to pull out of his pockets bandages.

"Are you okay, Doctor Langner?", asked Ericson.

She stared at him. "I _was _fed by a Wraith!!! Do you think I am okay?!" Her astonishment turned into anger, '_I hate the military_!'

The Lieutenant began to dress the wound.

"Don't worry. We shot him before he could begin to feed", he gave her an assuring smile. His forehead was covered with sweat.

"I am not a fool, Lieutenant! I know that the Wraith fed upon me. I sensed how he was sucking and saw his wounds heal! Don't lie to me!", she was fighting not to burst into tears.

The Lieutenant and Ericson exchanged looks.

"You are in shock, Doctor Langner …", he began to speak.

"Yes, I am. But my mind is still working. So stop with the lies and tell me how bad is my condition!" she couldn't stop her tears.

"You are allright. The Wraith didn't feed upon you. I have seen humans after Wraith feeding and I know how they look", he extracted his knife out of his waist scabbard. The blade was wide and polished like a mirror. She took the knife with trembling hands and look at the reflection.

The view was slightly crooked but she saw her face. No wrinkles or old skin. She stared at the steel blade with disbelief. From the reflection was looking her own face. Which even looked younger than her 38 years. Actually the face was belonging to a very young woman. Maybe 18 or 20 years old. She remembered how she looked like when she was a student.

"But I look younger!" she gave him back the blade and looked at her chest. On the blue T-shirt there was a very clear mark of a Wraith feeding. Lifting the T-shirt she saw the wound from the feeding on her skin. The two Marines were looking at the feeding mark with astonished eyes.

"Oh, crap!" exclaimed Ericson.

"We have to go back to Atlantis!" she said thoughtfully.

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Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed.


	3. Chapter 3 Return

**Chapter 3 Return**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains spoilers about episode First Strike.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia for her review.**

**This chapter is not beta'd yet.**

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"Incoming wormhole", the technician announced. In the Gate Room there were only few people. Most of the high ranked personnel have been occupied with the preparations around the strike against the Asurans. After the successful mission Doctor Weir had given them time to relax.

No one paid any attention to the words of the technician. This was just another boring mission on a primitive world.

From the shining puddle emerged a young woman with a bloody warp over her shoulder. After her three marines exited, everyone carring boxes. The line was finishing with the MALP. One of the marines was aiming his P-90 at the Stargate.

The woman, the technician wasn't sure about her name, lifted her head and looked around.

"Raise the shield!", she screamed.

The technician quickly pushed the red button and activated the shield. He switched his com link on.

"Infirmary, there is medical situation in the Gate Room. One is injured"

He saw how the woman's warp shoulder suddenly became red with blood and she fainted away.

* * *

Dc. Langner opened her eyes. For a moment she didn't know where she was. Then the memories hit her mind – the mission, the Wraith attack, the feeding, someone shooting at her.

'Feeding!? Was it just a dream?' she tried to stand but realized in her arms there were IV and other things. Her bloody clothes were removed and she was dressed in a green hospital dress.

"How do you feel?" a low voice asked.

She turned her head and saw Dc. Keller, sitting next to the bed. They had arrived in Atlantis at the same time. This fact made them close colleagues and friends.

"I feel good. Just…" she couldn't finish her words when the door of the Infirmary opened and Doctor Weir entered in the room. '_She looked very tired and even…frightened?_'

"I see you are awake. How do you feel? Do you remember what has happened on X69-MG?" She was looking at the wounded woman with anxiety.

"We found the source of the energy readings that had been detected. I think this was an Ancient outpost and it has been some kind of mining facility. Then Lieutenant Tayler and the other marines found a device. I recognized it is Wraith's. Three Darts flew from the Stargate and the marines began shooting at them. I was left at the camp with Davidson to pack the things when I felt something", she made a pause, taking a deep breath. "It was a Wraith, he stunned Davidson and began feeding upon me. I saw how his wound healed. Then someone shot me and the Wraith ran to the forest. We reached Stargate and dialed up Atlantis." She was shivering from the memories.

Doctor Weir and Doctor Keller looked at her with amazed eyes.

"We noticed that after this accident you look different", Keller took notes from the chair and looked at them. "Are you sure the marines really shot you?"

"Is this some kind of a joke? I am sure. My whole uniform was damped with blood! Taylor even wrapped my shoulder…", she touched her shoulder and realized there was no dressing. Opening the neckline of the dress she saw her shoulder. There was no wound, nothing. Just a normal white skin!

"What?! But….", she was staring at her shoulder with disbelieve.

"The blood on your uniform was yours. But when I tried to find the wound under the warp there was none", Doctor Keller spoke carefully.

"Elizabeth, come in the Command Room. Something just appeared in orbit", the voice of McKay sounded in the Infirmary.

"I am coming, Rodney", she looked at Dc. Langner. "I want you to get some free days and to let Dc. Keller find out what has happened. Right?" Weir nodded to them and left the room.

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Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed.


	4. Chapter 4 DNA

**Chapter 4**** DNA**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own ****Stargate**** Atlantis.**

**Warning: ****contains spoilers for episode ****First Strike**

**This chapter is not ****beta'd**** yet.**

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Doctor Langner sat on the bed. The IV was removed and after the exam Dr. Keller said she is safe and sound. She kept her in the Infirmary till the last tests were finished.

"Jenifer, I want to go to my quarters and take a shower." Dr. Langner inserted a note of plea in her voice. She was eating the forth sandwich and was still hungry. "If I stay here I will eat the whole food in Atlantis!"

"I know, Miranda. You mentioned it three times!" Dr. Keller was studying the results of the last blood tests. "Hmmm…interesting!"

"What? Did you find something?" Miranda stood on the floor and approached the sitting Dr. Keller. She saw on the screen color diagrams which didn't mean anything to her."What is this?" she asked.

"This is a diagram of your immune system", answered Dr. Keller. "The red areas are the T-cells and the blue are your B-cells. They recognize and try to kill the pathogen bacteria. This…", she pushed a button and the screen splitted and on the left side appeared a similar diagram, "is your immune system before a week, when you came in Atlantis and I took a blood from you for the standard tests. Then you had a normal immune system", she pointed at the red and blue areas. Miranda noticed that the red and blue areas were smaller than the red and blue areas from the present status of her immune system, "but now your system is different. I have never seen anything even closer to this. You're T and B cells now kill 100 of the foreign bacteria's. And what is amazing is that every virus is immediately destroyed." Keller was speaking with a glint in her eyes. I have to run other tests but the first results indicted that all of your cells regenerate. I checked your telomerase chains and I found that they are enlarging! Amazing!"

"And what that means, exactly?!" Miranda still didn't understand what the last telomerase thing was. The half-eaten sandwich was forgotten.

"Human cells are regenerated by a repeating cycle of rebirth of new cells in the place of the older ones. This cycle is controlled by an enzyme called telomerase. After each cycle telomerase chains shortened and after fifty cycles the telomerase can no longer controlled the regeneration cycle and the body begin to grow old. Your telomerase chains are like a new born child and are regenerated very fast. In the last hour a full cell regeneration cycle has been completed." Jennifer Keller was excited. She lifted her eyes from the screen and stared at Miranda. The look was saying '_I want to make some tests and you will be the guinea pig_'.

"But …didn't you say that this cycle takes a year?" Miranda frowned. The whole thing sounded illogical. And if she understood correctly something basic wasn't right with her DNA.

"Normally, yes. But yours has regenerated for an hour. And after each cycle the telomerase isn't shortened but replaces the used quantity with new one. Do you understand what this mean?" Dr. Keller was definitely going mad. Her face was blushing and she was breathing hard.

"Mmm…. I am a warp field engineer, not a medical doctor…." Began Dr. Langner but was interrupted.

"This means that you can never die by a natural death because you are not aging!" She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "And this explains your appetite." She nodded to the sandwich. "Regeneration demands energy."

Miranda looked at the sandwich. The whole idea about constant eating sounded crazy!

"And I will have to eat non-stop?" She tried to imagine such a thing. Suddenly her appetite disappeared.

"Well, the wound and the Wraith's feeding were the cause for your hunger. If you are not injured then you will just have a little increased appetite. I noticed that after the recovering the demand of energy decreased." Dr. Keller smiled convincingly.

"Wait!" Dr. Langner wasn't a woman easily excited "If this wasn't in my DNA before a week, then it is caused by the Wraith that fed upon me, isn't it?" She looked questionly at .

"I am not 100 sure till I don't test every area of your DNA again…" admitted .

"Then if we assume this change is caused by the Wraith, isn't it some kind of an infection that will be temporary?" Miranda continued to dig in the theme.

"No, if it was temporary I had to see changes during the last hours. I believe that something in your DNA has been affected by the feeding of the Wraith and released causing this effect."

They looked at the DNA's diagram. The regenerated telomerase chains were shining in golden.

Suddenly the floor began to shake. Dr. Langner caught the desk on which stood the screen. Then the shaking stopped.

"Doctor Keller, please immediately report to the Command Room and take Dr. Langner with you." The voice came from the ComLink loudspeaker, interrupting their silent stare at the screen.

* * *

"As you know we had to strike the Asurans", said Dr. Weir. She was sitting at the table in the Conference Room and watching the people around the table. Dr. McKay, Lt. Colonel Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, Dr. Zelenka, Dr. Keller and Miranda were listening to the words of Dr. Weir. Miranda tried to ignore the curious looks of Sheppard at her hospital dress.

"They decided to strike back and now Atlantis is hitting by a laser beam from the Stargate in orbit. Dr. McKay and searching for a way to escape that beam found a solution. We will submerge the City." Dr. Weir tried to sound confident but the dark shadows bellow her eyes showed otherwise.

"When the Ancients came they activated few systems that I was able to understand", McKay gave a little arrogant look at the sitting people. Zelenka just rolled up his eyes by this demonstration of McKay's ego. "And we could avoid the beam when we are underwater."

"But…" Miranda wanted to say something but McKay waved his hand

"We tested this with computer simulations. Now..I and Zelenka will be in the Control Room. You, Dr. Langner will have to delay your vacation", she opened her eyes astounded. Obviously McKay wasn't informed what caused her 'vacation'. "And to go and work on the engines" She just nodded and looked at Dr. Weir.

"Am I free from my vacation, Dr. Weir?" the word vacation was dripped with humor.

"Because of the situation, you will have to", answered Dr. Weir, throwing a tired look at McKay.

'_Great! It seems I shall improve my knowledge of Ancient sub light engines_' thought , listening to the details of the coming submersion.

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Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed.


	5. Chapter 5 Star drive

**Chapter ****5**** Star**** drive**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Thanks to ****enodemon****, Lujana**** and ****Scarbantia**** for their wonderful reviews. Reading your reviews ****was so stimulating that ****I wrote the new chapter so fast. Excuse me if there are some grammar mistakes in the text but I have still not found a beta reader.**** It seems I have to ki****dnap**** someone and threatened to wraith him/her.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for First Strike.**

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"All sub light engines are ready and functional, Dr. McKay", said Miranda in her ComLink. She was watching the screens of the Ancient devices in the Engine Room. In her left hand was a computer tablet and with her right hand she was writing on the tablet. On one of the panels were packs from sandwiches and candies. '_Well, finally I am not feeling hungry_', she thought, correcting some of the numbers on the tablet.

"Okay! I begin the submersion!" She heard the voice of McKay.

From the loudspeakers Weir's words echoed through the room.

"Attention all personnel! We are about to attempt to submerge the City. Well I understand it could get a little bumpy. So it's your last chance to secure equipment and get to designated safe areas"

Dr. Langner stood, checking the screens. According to McKay the submersion had to be without shaking or other effects.

She felt how the City began to move and after seconds a hitting sound and a shaking of the floor when they landed on the bottom. She saw that the energy was still redirected to the shield. '_Well…McKay's idea is not working_!' she shoke her head and began inspection of the condition of the engines.

She just started the scanning programme when Keller ran through the door with a box in her hands.

"I need more blood samples!" Dr. Keller got a syringe out of the box and looked at Miranda.

"Again? But you already took a liter from my blood!" exclaimed Miranda but submitted to the wish of her friend and pulled up her sleeve.

While Keller was taking the blood samples, she asked

"How is the hunger?" Jenifer saw the empty packs on the panel.

"In the last 10 minutes I was ok. Looks like your theory for decreasing demand of energy had been right", Miranda noticed that the forth syringe was full. "Anything new?"

Jennifer signed and confessed "I couldn't understand what in your genes causes your regeneration. Then I decided to compare your samples with the samples of other humans fed by the Wraith. And then I found the same protein marker left from the Wraith. The marker is identical with the serum they inject the humans so they could feed upon them. But I haven't noticed any sign of addiction. I have a theory that this serum had activated some latent genes in your DNA that allowed you to regenerate after the Wraith feeding and the wound. That's why I am taking these blood samples", she put the tenth syringe in the box and went to the door.

* * *

Miranda was going to continue her work when suddenly a feel of hunger caused a terrible ache in her head. Miranda couldn't think for anything else except food. Quickly she went to the panel, dropped the tablet and found uneaten pack of sandwiches. Chewing the sandwich and swallowing it as faster as she could she felt how ache weakened. After the first sandwich she was able again to think and the ache disappeared. Taking the computer tablet with intention to continue the scan, she heard Weir's voice in her ear's ComLink "Dr. Langner, come in the Command Room"

* * *

"May I have you your attention! As you all know we'd found ourselves in a spot of trouble. The reality is that no matter where we tried to hide on this planet, the replicator satellite will be able to track us. Therefore Doctor McKay and Colonel Sheppard have come up with a rather ingenious way for us to escape the satellite's range all together. In the next few hours we'll fire the City Star drive and had in the space. Atlantis is leaving this planet!"

The words of Weir for the second time echoed in the Engine Room. Miranda was listening to the words without stopping her work on one of the control crystal's condensers that had to be used to fire the Star drive.

'_I just hope that this time McKay has come with a working idea_!' she thought, setting one of the crystals in the device.

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Atlantis's shield was down. She was monitoring the screens. So far the engines functioned and the rising was going ok.

All of a sudden she heard a loud sound and a laser beam hit one of control panels. The screen in front of her broke into pieces and one of them got through her chest, cutting the ribs and her back. The glass came out of her sticking in the secondary controls behind her. She screamed and fell on the floor. The blood was flowing like a red fountain. She tried to stand up when a whipping lightning from the deck aimed the control crystals and the last thing she remembered was the explosion of the warp field condensers.

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Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed.


	6. Chapter 6 Adrift

**Chapter ****6**** Adrift**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Stargate**** Atlantis.**

**Thanks ****to ****Scarbantia**** and ****Amaruk**** Wolf****heart ****of the Wraith ****for their reviews. ****They**** were most appreciated. ****Amaruk**** Wolfheart**** of the Wraith is the wonderful beta reader of this chapter. I am very grateful to her**

**Warning: contains spoilers and an AU version of Adrift and Lifeline from Season 4.**

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"The control panel is not responding!" the frustrated voice shouted, penetrating the door of the Engine Room.

Slowly the sound of the voice made its way into the mind of the woman knocked out on the floor. Miranda moved her hand and, feeling a little dizzy, opened her eyes and faced the floor. She recognized the voice of Private Davidson and taking a breath she knelt and tried to stand up. She looked at her chest, remembering the glass that had hit her. The blue T-shirt had a big hole that revealed healthy skin. A sharp ache was clawing her belly reminding her that she needed food. Ignoring the pain, she tried to overwhelm the hunger.

"Open it with C-4!" The unforgettable voice of Ericson forced her to stand up and she screamed.

"Ericson, don't use C-4!" She heard the activity behind the door stop. Then the amazed Ericson asked, "Are you alive, Dr. Langner?"

'_Ericson just can't stop himself from asking stupid questions_!' thought Miranda angrily, lifting herself up and walking to the door. Her shoes made a noise while she was walking on the glass shards covered floor.

"What do you think, Ericson? If I'm dead, who is speaking to you?" she answered, removing the covering of the door's control panel and trying to figure out what was wrong. The hunger made it difficult to think about the device, and Ericson didn't help at all with his babble.

"I thought after such an explosion no one could survive, Dr. Langner. And you were not responding to the calls over the ComLink."

"I was stunned by the explosion, Ericson," Miranda said, trying to stay focused. Finally she found what caused the damage to the controls. '_If I wasn't hungry I would have found it earlier_,' she sighed and redirected the energy into another supply chain. The door opened.

Ericson and Lieutenant Tayler stood staring at her. Behind them was Davidson with C-4 charges in his hands. Miranda looked at them asking, "I suppose you have some emergency food bars, don't you?"

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"I don't understand why we have only 24 hours, McKay?" 

Miranda heard the question of Colonel Sheppard, entering in the Command Room. Near the entrance she saw the unconscious Dr.Weir carried on a stretcher with Dr.Keller and a few medicals around her. '_The beam must have hit the Command Room' she thought_.'

Inside McKay and Sheppard were arguing when Teyla interrupted their babbling.

"If we have only 24 hours then we should start thinking about a solution." Teyla tried to calm the situation.

"McKay, the warp field condensers just exploded," announced Miranda while approaching the control decks.

"Oh, no!" McKay looked stunned. "The beam must have cut off the alert programme. You used the last crystals to repair the condensers, didn't you?" There was hope in his tone that he was wrong.

"Yes. And to answer to your next question – no, there are no other free crystals which I can use, except the ones of the Stargate." She nodded her head to the big ring of the Stargate in the Control Room.

"Can't we use some of the equipment from the other devices in Atlantis?" asked Sheppard.

"No, the condenser's crystals are very specific. It's like trying to fix the Stargate controls with an ordinary crystal from the energy chains of the Jumpers," explained Miranda, looking at Sheppard. Rodney was sitting with a frightened expression on his bruised face.

"Dr.McKay!" her voice brought him out of his numbness. He blinked.

"Yes, yes? I was just…"

"Since Dr. Weir is injured and cannot make a decision, you are the main civilian scientist here. And that means you are in charge of Atlantis, Rodney." Teyla's words brought order in the chaos.

"She is right, McKay. We have to come up with a plan if we want to breathe after 24 hours," said Sheppard.

"Right. Let me think for a minute and I will…" McKay began to push the keys on his console searching for an answer.

Miranda was glaring at McKay when a thought came up. "Do you know where we are?" she asked him.

"We dropped out of hyperspace after only few minutes' flight. Zelenka is checking the Ancient database so we'll know soon." McKay sounded more confident than before.

"I have a plan," Miranda told them suddenly.

Everybody looked at her.

"You do?" Even McKay stopped his frenetic pushing of the keys.

"Even if I use the control crystals from the Stargate they won't be enough to repair all of the condensers needed to fire the Star Drive. But I can attach a warp field condenser to the sub light engines of a Jumper." Miranda looked at McKay who was considering her words.

"And then what? Evacuate the personnel with that Jumper?" asked Sheppard.

"No!" came the annoyed answer. "A team with that Jumper will reach the nearest planet with an Ancient city. We know that the Ancients abandoned their cities when a sector had been conquered by the Wraith. I will figure out a way to pass undetected through the Wraith's trapping devices and take the crystals. Then we shall go back to Atlantis and repair the condensers. We'll still have enough energy to fly to the nearest planet with a breathable atmosphere."

"That's a good plan, Sheppard." There was hope in McKay's eyes.

Sheppard looked at Teyla and then at Dr. McKay and Dr. Langner.

"All right. Let's do it"

* * *

Sheppard was flying the Jumper. Dr.Langner, Teyla and Lieutenant Tayler were sitting in the front sector. In the cargo sector were Ericson and Davidson. Dr.Langner was working on a detector for Wraith signals when the Jumper's alarm sounded in the cockpit. In front of them appeared a screen with two red lights and one blue – the Jumper. 

"Wraith ships?" Miranda frowned. The red lights were exchanging energy lines.

"It looks like they are in the middle of a friendly battle," guessed Sheppard.

* * *

They dropped out of the hyperspace and switched to cloak before entering in the range of the Wraith's sensors.

The Jumper approached the battle, silently observing the situation. The two cruisers were fighting furiously. Behind them was the blue atmosphere of X100-JD, the goal of the team. Around them darts were firing at each other. Suddenly one of cruisers exploded destroying the darts and causing a series of explosions on the board of the second cruiser. Miranda noticed that one of the darts survived the explosion but was captured in the gravitation of the planet and headed towards the surface. Despite the severe damages the cruiser was still functional.

"I think we shall have to land on the planet without decloaking" observed Teyla. All of them silently agreed with her.

* * *

"Okay. I disabled the Wraith trap. So simple and so effective…." said Dr. Langner, reading the data on her tablet. 

The group had been hidden behind a rock a mile from the ruins of an Ancient city. The lights of the Wraith device stopped blinking and the group left the hiding place, walking quickly to the Ancient city.

Davidson and Tayler were left to guard the Jumper. Miranda was leading the group with Sheppard and Teyla behind her. Ericson was the last in the line watching their backs. They reached the city and looked for any signs of intruders. The city was covered with soil. Only the upper floors of the central towers were over the surface. They approached one of towers and stopped.

"This has to be the tower with the Command Room," said Dr. Langer, looking at the tablet in her hand. She went to the console on the left side of the big glass wall and touched it. The sensor didn't activate, indicating that there was no energy left in the city and they had to open the glass door by hand. They turned on the flash lights and headed to the Engine Room, opening the doors on their way.

After an hour the hard-breathing group reached the Engine Room.

"I hadn't realized how long the distances in Atlantis without transporters are," said Ericson, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Miranda tried to calm her breathing as she searched the Engine Room. She noticed the sparkling surfaces of the condensers behind the control decks. Quickly she went to them, checking the containment of the condensers.

"Their crystals are untouched!" A wide smile appeared on her face. She turned to Sheppard, Teyla and Ericson. "We have to remove them. Only…." She looked at her wrist watch. "20 hours left".

They were walking, carrying the condenser's crystals packed in boxes, when Teyla froze and looked around. All of them stopped.

"What is it?" asked Sheppard.

"I sense a Wraith!" was her answer.

Miranda pulled out a life signs detector and saw three groups of life signs. Four of them were their own, the other two were Davidson and Tayler, and another one was blinking near the two life signs.

"There is a life sign near the Jumper," Miranda confirmed.

"Tayler, there is a Wraith near you. Be careful! We're coming," said Sheppard into the radio.

"Roger that, Colonel," answered Tayler.

* * *

The group reached the cloaked Jumper, landed on a cleared place in the forest. Lieutenant Tayler reported. 

"No activity around the Jumper, sir!"

"Good." Sheppard looked at the forest around the Jumper.

They brought the boxes into the cargo sector and Miranda again looked at the life signs detector. The life sign still hadn't move.

"That is very strange. If this is a Wraith, why he is standing there?"

"Maybe he's hiding?" asked Sheppard. "Anyway, we'll find out. Dc. Langer, you are staying here. The others are coming with me," he ordered.

"I have to stay here alone?" asked Miranda, throwing an astounded look at Sheppard.

"Does the detector find any other life signs?" asked Sheppard.

"No," said Dr. Langer.

"See? Nothing to worry about," Sheppard assured her and headed the group to the forest.

* * *

Dr. Langner stood near the cloaked Jumper. She had grown up in a city and the forest unnerved her. 

Suddenly a strange and somehow familiar feeling filled her. There was a feeling of hunger but she wasn't hungry.

Miranda turned around and went into the forest, tracking the source of the feeling. She noticed a movement near a tree. Approaching the tree with a gun in her hand she saw a Wraith crawling on the ground. He had a wound on his back that wasn't healing. The black blood was flowing over his long leather jacket. Something about the long white hair looked familiar. '_The wounds have to be severe if he can't even walk_,' she thought.

She aimed the gun at the Wraith and screamed, "Don't move!"

The Wraith stopped his crawling and tried to turn around. Hissing in agony, he turned on his back, revealing his wounded chest. She lifted her eyes from the wound and saw two yellow eyes on a light green face. On the left side of the Wraith face was a tattoo of a wave with three lines. The yellow eyes widened in amazement watching at her.

"You!" exclaimed Miranda, staring at the Wraith.

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7 Defiant

**Chapter 7 Defiant**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains spoilers and an AU version of episodes Adrift and Lifeline from Season 4.**

**(Beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith!)**

* * *

The two – human and Wraith – stared at each other. The tension was growing. Even the forest's sounds stopped.

For a single moment Miranda saw what the Wraith was feeling. Hunger, a terrible pain, knowing that this human will kill him, but defiance overwhelmed the other emotions and thoughts.

'_He knows he is going to die, but he is still defiant_?' A wonder filled her mind.

Somehow she felt a respect and even sympathy for the Wraith. A thin line of black blood began to flow from his mouth, indicating unhealed internal damage. He ignored the blood and continued to look at her, ready to die.

She looked at the gun, then at the Wraith….

'_Even a Wraith does not deserve such an end_,' she decided, and put the gun back at her waist. The Wraith was observing her movements with surprise. He looked stunned when he became aware she would not kill him.

'_I cannot kill him. I just can't_!' Miranda thought, glaring at the suddenly confused Wraith '_But what to do with him? If I leave him here he won't be able to reach the Stargate and escape, not in his condition. If I inform the others he will be probably killed or kept as a guinea pig for the retrovirus! What do I do_?"

The stunning silence was interrupted by the activated radio. "Dr. Langner, we saw three Wraith flying machines, bigger than darts. Colonel Sheppard decided to stop searching for the Wraith life sign and we are coming back to you. If you see any suspicious movements, fire at will."

She understood with relief that this solves her dilemma. Taking the radio she answered. "So far I haven't noticed anything to worry about, Ericson." Miranda turned off the radio and, taking a look at the Wraith, she asked,

"The Wraith that are coming… Are they your comrades or your enemies?"

He hesitated for a moment but answered. "The enemy cruiser was destroyed. My brothers are searching for survivors."

"That's good." She confidently turned and walked back to the Jumper. She was only few steps away when the Wraith spoke.

"Human!"

Miranda stopped and, turning around, faced the Wraith. He was still on the forest's leaf-covered soil. Lifting an eyebrow, she said sarcastically,

"Wraith?"

He threw her an unreadable look. Obviously wanting to figure out how to express his thoughts, he finally whispered, "Why didn't you kill me?"

She signed and just shook her head. "Because…" She looked at him. "I know how you feel. I could sense your hunger, your pain…." Miranda saw his astounded face. He seemed shocked. "And even you, a Wraith, don't deserve to end killed in the dirty mud."

A buzzing sound of approaching Wraith darts echoed a few miles away.

* * *

Miranda reached the cloaked Jumper seconds before Sheppard and the others returned. Without talking they walked into the Jumper and headed towards the sky. 

Miranda was listening to the excited talk of the Marines with a blank expression on her face. Teyla and Sheppard were speaking to each other, looking at the tactic display. She saw how the Wraith flying machines, a little bigger than darts, hovered over the place in the forest that she has found her Wraith and a beam hit the ground.

'_My _Wraith? That's weird,' she thought with disbelief.

The Jumper reached space and Miranda focused her attention in opening a hyperspace window.

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed. 


	8. Chapter 8 Lifeline

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia and PKBitchGirl1 for their reviews. This story is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith.**

**Warning: contains spoilers an AU version for episodes Adrift and Lifeline from Season 4.**

* * *

"Okay, the condensers are ready, Dr. McKay," Miranda said, checking the data on the screen of the computer tablet. 

She was again in the Engine Room after the team reached Atlantis, still drifting in space.

"Fingers crossed! This time everything has to be easy." Miranda heard the murmurs of McKay in her ear ComLink.

'_I hope so. Or we shall have to learn quickly how to breathe in the space vacuum_!' she thought.

She saw that the energy from the ZPM was redirected to the condensers and the Star Drive.

"The energy is flowing normally, Rodney," Zelenka announced in the ComLink.

"Condensers are functional and the Star Drive is charging. We'll be able to open a hyperspace window after 10 seconds." Miranda was observing the information on the screen in front of her. Her right hand was stuck to the controls, operating the Ancient technologies. The information on the screen changed, showing an image of the Star Drive and the condensers, blinking in blue.

"The Star Drive is charged. Colonel Sheppard, open a hyperspace window." Miranda took a deep breath.

The screen showed that the hyper space window was opened and Atlantis began to fly to JY301-MX, the nearest planet Zelenka and McKay had found.

"Let's see….the ZPM status is normal, the course is normal, the Star Drive is doing ok….We made it! I can't believe this!" the exalted voice of McKay filled her ear. "We will reach JY301-MX in 4 hours!"

* * *

_3 hours later _

Miranda had finished scanning the Star Drive and was sitting in the Mess Hall eating the tasteless chicken soup. She hadn't slept for 20 hours but she felt surprisingly well. The rumors about her stunning recovery after an encounter with a Wraith had spread and now the other personnel were staring at her. One of the scientists was whispering something to Davidson, looking at her.

She tried to ignore the looks and continue eating when Dr. McKay entered the Hall and noticed her. He took a tray with food and headed toward her table.

"May I?" He nodded to the empty seats.

"Of course, Dr. McKay," she answered.

He sat in the chair and began eating his tomato soup. '_He is not the only one who hasn't slept in the last 20 hours_,' Miranda noticed, looking at the dark circles under his eyes. Obviously he didn't find the soup distasteful. Finishing it, he began the cup of blue Jell-O. Miranda was amazed. '_His appetite is stronger than mine_!'

He ate the Jell-O and looked at her. There was something strange in his eyes. '_Inconvenience, shame and …gratitude_?' He coughed and tried to calm down.

"You know, Dr. Langner, I read your file. Very impressive scientific career. I didn't know you had worked in the European Space Agency for ten years."

"Yes, I was hired there." Miranda had stopped eating.

"I…." He paused and then decided, "I was envious when you came to Atlantis. That's why I was ignoring you. But after the latest events I realized that you actually saved my life. If you hadn't come here I would have to be in the Engine Room. The explosion would have killed me. You are alive because of your amazing newfound abilities." He was blushing, and his talk was turning into babbling. "Then you came up with an idea and went on a mission bringing the crystals. I …." He stopped talking searching for words.

"Dr. McKay!" Miranda interrupted his talk. He looked at her. "I understand how you feel. Every scientist would do the same in your place. I am not offended." She smiled at him and continued eating her soup. He looked amazed.

"Well…I have to go." He stood up and after a brief hesitation he said, "By the way, you could call me Rodney."

Miranda lifted her eyebrows. He was trying to be friendly? '_I am witnessing a miracle_!'

She stood up and held out her right hand. "And you can call me Miranda", she said, shaking his hand.

* * *

The alarm was sounding in the Engine Room. Miranda dropped the tablet, shocked by the sudden sound. 'What..?' 

"All personnel return immediately to your working seats!" the screaming voice of McKay thundered in the room. "We have detected an approaching object!"

* * *

Miranda ran to the control deck in time to hear the horrified cry of McKay. 

"I don't understand how this satellite is moving so fast! It was hours away from us just seconds ago!"

"How long till it comes up to us?" Sheppard asked over the ComLink.

"One minute!" McKay whispered.

"Asuran or Wraith?"

"Asuran," was the quiet answer. "No Wraith ship could move so quickly"

"Rodney!" Miranda said in a low voice. "I shall shut down the engines. If they got us with fired Star Drive the ZPM will be depleted after seconds."

"Yes, shut it down."

She touched the controls and focused. '_Sheppard said it is not hard to operate the Ancient devices. Just have to think what you want_.' She felt the Ancient software establish a link with her mind and in the next moment a screen appeared in front of her showing the deactivated Star Drive. A shaking movement of the floor and McKay's voice announced, "The Star Drive is shut down. Zelenka!"

"I am switching all our energy to the shield!" Zelenka said a moment before a laser beam hit the shield.

* * *

_5 hours later_

"After 15 minutes the ZPM will be depleted," said McKay, looking at the controls. He was sweating heavily. Miranda was in the Control Room working on the broken controls. She tried to stay calm but the situation was getting desperate. Sheppard was in the Chair Room sitting in the Chair and Teyla was in the Infirmary helping with the wounded.

They had tried everything – firing drones, changing shield harmonics – but the Asuran City-ship had caught them. Suddenly the beam changed from a red massive laser to a thin blue line. The shield began to sparkle and the beam penetrated the shield, hitting the Control Room. The blue laser struck one of the control consoles and the explosion threw McKay to the other side of the Control Room. His body laid there motionless.

The wave struck her too, but this time she didn't lose consciousness. The burning pain quickly disappeared and the wound was different, like millions of little things were trying to expand from the wounded place. Looking at the wound, Miranda noticed that it changed - the red blood turned into blue, then black, and the wound began to shrink, destroying the invader things. '_This is not a normal beam_!' She got up on her feet running to McKay.

"Rodney!" She saw a big burn on his head. The wound began to expand. Her mind was working frantically. She switched her radio on.

"Jennifer, come in the Control Room! We…"

"What's happened?" Sheppard shouted over the ComLink.

"Rodney is dead!" She whispered, trying to figure out how to solve the situation. "I think the Asurans have succeeded in infiltrating the shield with a beam containing nano particles!"

She reached one of the working consoles and started a new sequence of changing the shield. The doors opened and Dr. Keller with a team of medics rushed into the Control Room.

A new alarm began to sound. Miranda looked at the screen and exclaimed, "A ship dropped out of hyperspace!" She was reading the data from the sensors. "This is an Earth ship!"

"Atlantis, this is Colonel Carter! What is your status?" The voice of Samantha Carter echoed in the Control Room.

"This is Sheppard. Dr. Weir is seriously wounded, McKay is dead, and after a few minutes the ZPM will be depleted!"

* * *

The _Prometheus_ began shooting at the Asuran satellite, but the lasers didn't cause any damage. Time was running out. Suddenly the satellite turned around and the beam hit the shield of the ship. 

On board the _Prometheus_ the beam caused a series of explosions.

"Damages?" shouted Carter, avoiding the falling pieces of the ceiling.

"Two thirds of the ship has lost the life support system. No life signs in these areas! Shields at 10 percent!" answered the technician.

Colonel Carter looked at the view screen and stood up.

"Beam all the survivors and ZPM to Atlantis and turned on the self-destruct!" she ordered.

* * *

The explosions turned the Earth ship into a fireball rushing straight toward the Asuran satellite. The shield of the satellite collapsed under the approaching ship and a tremendous blast lit up the space. 

Atlantis's shield, powered by the new ZPM, resisted the energy wave.

"We made it!" Miranda screamed in joy. She felt a little dizzy from relief.

"Yes, we made it!" said a familiar voice. Colonel Carter stepped forward through the doors with Sheppard and a tall black man whom Miranda recognized. '_Teal'c is here_?' she thought, suddenly noticing the strange expression on Sheppard's face.

"Dr. Langner, you have to change the course to the original planet destination and activate the Star Drive," ordered Colonel Carter. Miranda looked at Sheppard. He looked annoyed.

"But, Colonel Carter, the new course will save us energy..." She couldn't finish because Carter interrupted her.

"I understand your reasons for changing the flight, but this is not the time to question my orders….!"

"Your orders?" Sheppard shouted, expressing his anger. "After Dr. Weir and McKay are incapacitated, I am in charge here!"

Carter didn't blink, just stared at him. Behind her Teal'c lifted his eyebrow.

"Colonel, I am relieving you of duty. Stargate Command made a decision that I am to be the military leader of Atlantis. Because of the situation, the civilian leadership is temporary abolished. As your commander, my first order is 'Don't question my orders'!" She looked at the amazed Dr. Langner and the stunned face of Sheppard and went to the door.

* * *

"When I agreed to come here, they assured me this was a scientific expedition, not a military base!" grumbled Miranda, running diagnostics on the activated Star Drive. After the arrival of the new military commander and the firing of the Star Drive, Atlantis was flying in its original course.

* * *

In the Observation Room, Colonel Carter, Teal'c, Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon and other members of the expedition were watching the scene below. Dr. Keller was inserting an IV in McKay's arm. Near the bed was a silicon container with blood. The screens show no brain activity or active life signs. The blood began to flow from the container through the IV infusing into the veins of the motionless body. 

Two thirds of the blood was infused into the body when the monitors beeped and life signs slowly appeared. A hologram showed how the nano particles were destroyed by the combined strength of the Wraith's cells.

Ten minutes after the start of the procedure, brain activity started.

An hour later, McKay opened his eyes, blinking in disorientation.

"How do you feel?" asked Carter.

"I…" He looked around. "There was an explosion. The Asurans were attacking us…" Then he realized whose voice was speaking to him. "Samantha?"

"You were hit by a beam with nano particles, Dr. McKay…." Carter began to explain.

* * *

Miranda left the Observation Room and headed to the transporters. '_I need a shower. And a week's sleep_"

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed. 


	9. Chapter 9 Reunion

**Chapter 9 Reunion**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia for her/his reviews:)**

**This story is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith.**

**Warning: contains spoilers and an AU version for Season 4 and the episode Reunion.**

Almost the whole surface of M12-578 was covered with an ocean. Near the equator was the place that Atlantis had landed a month ago. The weather was sunny and warm. The City on the blue sparkling water was like a picture of idealistic peacefulness.

* * *

"I don't believe it!" McKay said irritated staring at the crystals, covered with disgusting slugs. He, Miranda and Zelenka were in the Control Room for one of the docking ports of Atlantis. Their laptops were hooked up to the just-cleaned controls. 

'_There is something strange to see a Control Room with glistening sluggish walls_,' thought Miranda looking around.

"At least this is the last Control Room we shall have to clean, Rodney" Zelenka tried to bring a sense of optimism to the situation.

McKay threw an angry look at the Czech scientist and start working on his laptop."If you had activated the force fields over the hatches, these things wouldn't have spread out everywhere!"

"It not my fault you chose that planet! The Ancients avoided it because of the slugs! But you said that wouldn't be a problem!" Zelenka exclaimed with a heavy accent.

"Look!" Miranda was listening to this conversation for the 10Th time. "This is the last one! Let's cleaned it and try to calm down. Shall we?"

The door opened and Davidson entered, carrying a case with cleaning products. Behind him Ericson with a bunch of mops in his hands and annoyed expression on his face, who looked at the loathsome slugs and signed.

* * *

"We cleaned all the controls. The force fields have been activated," reported McKay. 

The three scientists, Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, Teal'c and Carter were in the Conference Room.

"And we cleaned the slugs from the stores," Sheppard announced, looking at Carter. "The only little problem is that these things have contamined everything in the stores except the vacuum-sealed emergency rations."

"So we have food for 10 days." Carter was thinking out loud. She looked at them. "What about the water?"

"The bottled water is polluted but we figured out how to produce drinkable water from the ocean" Zelenka smiled, ignoring the bitter expression on Rodney's face, which was going to explode.

"Colonel Carter," Teyla's low voice interrupted the coming argument between McKay and Zelenka.

"Yes, Teyla?" Carter said looking relieved at avoiding the quarrel.

"We could go off-world and buy food. I know some planets with decent traders," Teyla said, smiling reassuringly.

* * *

"I really can't understand why all planets with fare traders are so primitive!" Miranda exclaimed trying to find a way through the street which was covered with trash and mud. A dirty chicken crossed the poodle in front of them, sprinkling Ericson with the repulsive liquid from the plash. 

"Yyycks! I hate that planet!" Ericson shouted cleaning the spots on his uniform.

The town was near the Stargate and to Miranda it looks like a picture of a medieval city from the history books. A few meters away was the market with hundreds of cattle and buckets of grain. All of the traders were men, and all of them were staring at her with strange looks. Miranda ignored them and continued to the place where McKay and Ronon were standing with bored faces and Teyla was smiling to a disgusting man, who probably hadn't bathed in years.

"How is trade going?" whispered Miranda to McKay.

"This ….man wants all of our antibiotics for four tons of grain," he said, not hiding his frustration.

Teyla and the dirty man shook their hands. She turned to them, not losing her smile. "Cron agreed to trade the grain for two thirds of the cures. There is a custom here to celebrate the good deal with a drink. We are invited to the pub."

She, Ronon and the man walked into a clay hut that had to be the pub.

"Oh, great! Now we have to drink some unknown alcohol. I won't be surprised if we go back with a new found allergy," said McKay tetchily, looking at the pub.

* * *

An hour later they were still in the dark pub. Teyla and Ronon were taking a drink with another trader. The smell in the room was terrible and the smoke from the fireplace made the eyes of Miranda, McKay, Ericson and Sheppard water. Miranda hadn't touched her cup, filled with greenish local beer. 

Suddenly the door of the pub opened and three men entered the room. They were tall, with dark hair and leather clothes. The group headed towards a table and one of them called for the waiter.

Hearing the voice of the man, Ronon froze. He stopped drinking the beer and turned to the group. He glared at the men and stood up. The other men had also noticed him and stopped talking.

"Ronon!" the man that had called for the waiter said, a stunned expression on his face.

"Tyre!" yelled Ronon, and he hugged the man. He began to hug the other two men "Ara! Rakai!"

Ten minutes later the three men and the Atlantis team were sitting at the table and were drinking. Tyre was telling their story.

"So after the beginning of the attack we were sealed in the caves under the Command Centre. It took us weeks to dig ourselves out. When we were free, the Wraith had gone. Since then we are travelling from planet to a planet." He sipped the beer and smiled at the happy Ronon. "We thought you are dead!"

Miranda had a feeling that this man wasn't telling the truth.

"And how did you leave Sateda?" she asked.

The three men looked at her and Tyre answered, "Through the Gate of the Ancestors"

"Really? And how did you do it after the Wraith had blocked the Gate before they left Sateda?" she noticed an angry sparkle in the Tyre's eyes.

He looked at Ronon and asked "Why do you allow that _woman_ to bring a suspicion and ruin our reunion?"

The word 'woman' was pronounced like something dirty and cheap. Miranda frowned.

"Listen, you fucking looser.." She was just to put the idiot in his place when Ronon stopped her.

"Dc.Langner, there is no need to question my friends. They were my fellow soldiers. I thrust them!"

Ronon turned to the amazed Sheppard and said "Sheppard, I want to invite them to come back with me"

"Hey! We can't do such a thing! " McKay's face was red again. Twice for the day.

"No need to force them to welcome us to the City of the Ancestors, Ronon," said Tyre, catching everyone's attention. Sheppard's eyes widened and he and McKay exchanged looks.

"Yes, we know that the City is again populated. We heard stories about the humans that are fighting the Wraith and about you, Ronon." Tyre's smile didn't reach his eyes, Miranda noticed. "A Runner that has joined them, a warrior said to be seven feet tall who has killed a hundred Wraith!"

'_Why I don't believe him_?' wondered Miranda, listening to the insipid story.

* * *

"I am sorry, Mr. Dex, but IOA has decided. We can not reveal the existence of Atlantis to these men" said Richard Woolsey, looking a little self-satisfied. 

He and Carter were in the Conference Room with a silent Ronon.

"Then am I allowed to take a good bye to them?" he asked.

"Of course, you can!" answered Carter, smiling at him

He didn't smile back.

* * *

"Your place is with us, Ronon," Tyre said, staring at Ronon "With the City of the Ancestors being less than welcoming to us, you must make a decision – to join us or stay with them." He threw a weird look at McKay and Davidson, standing near the Stargate. 

Sheppard had been sent with Teyla on another world to negotiate for food, so only McKay accompanied Ronon to say good bye.

Ronon took a deep breath and decided.

"I am coming with you!"

"What? " McKay shouted.

"I made my decision, McKay!" Ronon said with a blank expression on his face. Tyre nodded to one that Ronan had called Ara and he dialed the Stargate.

They looked how Ronon and his friends walked in.

"This is just a fine end to this disgusting day!" exclaimed McKay.

* * *

"A beauty like you have to wear something attractive, not these gray clothes" said Cron, revealing two rows of yellow teeth with his smirk. Miranda tried to breathe through her mouth because of the nauseating odor that came from the man. 

"I am not here to discuss with you my clothes, Mr. Cron. Where is the grain that you have promised?"

"It's all here, honey tart!" Cron nodded to one of his assistants who start carrying buckets filled with grain. Lieutenant Taylor and few of the marines loaded the buckets onto a portable transport. After the grain was on the transport and the marines headed to the Stargate, Miranda gave a box of antibiotics to Cron.

"This is what you wanted," she said and waited. He opened the box and inspected its contents. Looking satisfied, Cron closed the box and again the yellow-toothed smile appeared on his face. A lustful sparkle glistened in his eyes "You know if you ever decide to change your job, I am looking for a lovely woman like you"

Miranda tried not to vomit. "I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Cron. Now I have to go…"

Cron interrupted her. "I really like you. So, free advice from me - beware of Ronon's friends!"

She stopped and studied the dirty face of the trader. "Why?"

"Because a beauty like you have to be cautions with Wraith worshippers." He looked at her like a hungry child in front of a pastry shop.

Miranda felt how her face pale. '_Wraith worshippers_?'

She headed to the Stargate, activating her radio "Rodney!"

* * *

Near the Stragate, McKay was eating a chocolate bar, watching the cargo with the grain enter the Stargate. 

"Yes, Miranda?"

"Is Ronon still there?" she asked.

"No. He decided to join his friends. I am sure he will be back …" McKay couldn't finish.

"Rodney! Cron just told me that Ronon's friends are Wraith worshippers!"

The chocolate seemed to stick in his throat. Rodney tried to say something but Miranda was faster. "Contact Carter and tell her. Do you know where Ronon has been taken?"

He gulped the chocolate and answered, "I saw the address…" He switched to Atlantis "Samantha, did you hear that?"

"I heard it, McKay. We have to stop Ronon. Atlantis will be in danger if he shares information about us. I am ordering you and Dc.Langner to go after him. I will alert Sheppard. They have probably not dialed a planet with Wraith and will try to convince Ronon first. Take the remaining marines with you and stop them. "

"But.." He looked nervously at the Stargate.

"McKay! I won't repeat myself. Carter out." The transmission ended, leaving McKay to glare at the silent radio.

"But I am not a hero! Why do these things always happen to me?"

* * *

"Did you see anything?" McKay whispered, looking around. 

He, Miranda, Ericson and Davidson had dialed the address, arriving in the night of that world. Following the life signs detector, they reached an artificial hill.

"There are lights near the entrance," Ericson said, looking with field glasses at the hill.

Silently the group walked through the entrance. In front of them, the blinking of the controls lit an organic door.

"A Wraith door!" McKay said, panicked. He tried to manipulate the controls but they were not responding. His panics mixed with frustration and he pulled out a pistol and fired at the console.

Viscous fluids leaked out and he fiddled with a scream. Suddenly the lights in the room went out.

"What's happened?" Rodney's voice thundered.

Miranda felt the point of a blade at her chest. The lights came on and she saw that Tyre and three Wraith drones had surrounded them. The blade that she had felt was the one of the spear like guns that the Wraith drones carried.

"I was sure you will come, Dc. McKay," smirked Tyre, looking at the stunned scientist.

He moved his stare to Miranda and ordered, "Take the men to the Interrogation Hall. I will deal with the _woman_." Miranda didn't like the way he said woman. His look was like Cron's, but while the lustful eyes of Cron were full of admiration, the eyes of Tyre stayed motionless.

The drones herded McKay, Ericson and Davidson to the corridor.

"Dc.Langner!" Ericson tried to resist but was hit by a blast from the Wraith stunner and dragged away.

Tyre grasped her shoulder and pulled her to another corridor. From nowhere a Wraith drone appeared and followed them. Drawing her into the tunnel, obscured by mist, he whispered in her ear."You know, I think that a beautiful _woman_ like you deserves a little lesson on how to behave with me!" She tried to jerk back from his wet mouth but he suddenly stopped.

She noticed they were in a corridor with prison cells on both sides. Tyre pulled her to the one at the end of the corridor and shouted, laughing. "Are there hungry?"

At first, Miranda thought he would put her in the cell but after his words she saw motion in the darkness. She made out one, then two shadows in the corners. Tyre touched the controls and a flashing light lit the room. He opened the cell and walked in, dragging her with him. The drone left to the door.

Three Wraith were standing in the far corner. The light sparkled on their white hairs. Suddenly Miranda felt a well-known sense.

Tyre looked at the Wraith standing ahead of the others and said mockingly, "What? You are not hungry?" He pointed to Miranda "Even for something delicious like that?"

Wraith snarled at the man but said nothing.

'_I can't believe it_' thought Miranda, looking at the leading Wraith. The greenish face with a tattoo like a wave with three lines seemed sick. He was staring at her like she was an erupting volcano.

'_He is here_?'

She was forced to focus her attention elsewhere when Tyre spoke.

"If you choose to share information, I will let you feed upon this candy," he said teasingly.

The Wraith and Miranda locked eyes. She felt his mind touch hers and then drift back. He looked at the man and his hoarse voice filled the cell.

"Very well."

Tyre nodded to the Wraith drone to enter the cell and tear her T-shirt, showing the white skin of her upper chest.

"Let's see if you will be so arrogant, _woman,_ when the Wraith sucked the life out of you."

"This will not change the fact you are an idiot!" she cried out. His fist slammed into her face, forcing her to shut up.

He pulled her to the Wraith and stood aside to enjoy the view. The drone took a position on the other side.

"Just scream when you decide to submit to me, _woman,_" he smirked, crossing his hands over his chest.

The Wraith stepped closer to her and, stretching out his hand, he plunged it toward her.

* * *

**Note**: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcomed. 


	10. Chapter 10 Admiration

**Chapter 10 Admiration**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**I want to thanks to Scarbantia, Lymbis and Lujana for their wonderful reviews.**

**This story is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers and an AU version for Season 4.**

The Wraith slammed his hand. There was a difference from the previous time when he fed. Then he was in a hurry, almost rude. Now he touched her chest carefully and with a slight pressing began to feed. The buzzing sound thundered in the dark cell. As he started to feed, Miranda felt her bruised cheek heal. Strength was flowing in her veins, like being thirsty for centuries and then finding the Niagara Falls. _'I definitely like the Wraith feeding!_'

She looked at the eyes of the Wraith. They were glazed with the pleasure of feeding. The sickened expression on his face disappeared, replaced by a powerful aura.

The Wraith's snarls became stronger with the infusion of new energy into his body. She sensed the moment when he became full with energy. _'Oh, my…I wonder, is it possible for a Wraith to overfeed?'_

Miranda realized that only seconds had passed.

Tyre, who was standing on her left side, expecting her to scream in agony, reached out to see what was going on. _'He is not the only one surprised,_' Miranda observed, through the cloud of stamina that filled her mind, seeing the confused faces of the other two Wraith. They were peering at her with amazement.

TheWraith removed his hand and, with a breath-taking movement, seized Tyre by the throat. He lifted him into the air, stopping the flow of oxygen and stunning him. While he was dealing with Tyre, the other two rushed to the drone and killed him.

He dragged the dazed man to a dark corner of the cell. There was an almost stationary motion.

_'Another Wraith?'_ Miranda frowned.

Her Wraith stuck the man to the wall and this time, the other two, after killing the drone, came back and helped the fourth Wraith. He stepped closer to the man, obviously weak. The leather jacket of this Wraith had many burns and holes. Miranda saw that his face was almost grey, looking very ill. On the chest of the fourth Wraith there were marks from Wraith feedings. _'The others must have fed upon him…'_ Miranda concluded.

But something in the way her Wraith and the other two took care of this one made her conclusion sound wrong. Suddenly she understood. _'These marks are from Gifts of Life! They had given him their energy. This Wraith must have been very weak from his wounds. That's why the others looked so sick and weakened!'_

A new feeling of admiration filled her mind. She had never thought she would feel such a thing for the Wraith.

When she came to Atlantis and read the reports about the encounters with the Wraith, she decided they were life-sucking, emotionless monsters. Now she saw them in a new light. _'How little we know about them…'_

Tyre tried to scream, but in just seconds there was noting left of him except an empty husk. Snarling quietly, the wounded Wraith finished him. He seemed better, but not quite well. Miranda looked at her Wraith and realized, comparing him with the other three, that they need much more than a man to sustain themselves.

While watching the chauvinist pig being sucked dry, it occurred to her that she wasn't hungry. _'I will have to inform Jennifer of that fact when we return to Atlantis. Maybe only the healing of injuries causes that disgusting hunger?'_

_He _dropped the husk on the floor and came closer to her, stopping a meter away and looking at her. _'He looks at me like he fears I will disappear!'_

"We meet again." There was surprise in his voice. His eyes were sparkling, truly astounded. "I…I apologize for…feeding upon you but there was no other way."

"I understood that," she said with lifted eyebrows. "Haven't you been rescued?"

He hesitated but answered, shrugging his shoulders."My brothers," he nodded to the other Wraith, "rescued me and we tried to reach the Hive but our cruiser was captured a few days after we met." He threw her a very strange look. "I thought we were going to die here."

"Yeah." She smiled at him. He fastened his eyes on her face. Miranda became aware that this was the first time he saw her smile. "I thought the same when he," she nodded to the husk in the corner, "and the drones surprised us." This reminded her that she had to find McKay and the marines.

All of a sudden a loud scream tore the air. She recognized the terrified voice of McKay. _'I have to do something quickly!'_

She was thinking feverishly when a crazy idea crossed her mind. She raised her eyes, transfixing her Wraith.

"You can detect other humans and Wraith if they are close, can't you?" she asked, staring appraisingly at the Wraith.

"Yes," he answered, alerted by her question.

She looked at the other Wraith, standing in silence and listening to their conversation with curiosity, then back to her Wraith.

"I am offering you a deal. Help me find and free my people and I will help you escape. We have a better chance of escaping if we do it together." Her words rang out in the cell. _'What am I doing? Making deals with the Wraith? If I come back to Atlantis I will have a long talk with Dr. Heightmeyer!'_

"Why do you think we can't do it alone, human?" a Wraith asked, glaring suspiciously. He was one of the two that had helped the wounded Wraith.

"And where you will get once you exit from this cell? The other worshipers will search for him," she threw a look at the husk, "and when they find his remains they'll start looking for you. Not to mention that your enemy Wraith most likely locked the Stargate after my people and I were captured. And…I could provide you with …" She paused, taking a deep breathe, and finished, "sustenance, if you are wounded or don't find anything to feed on."

Her statement left all the Wraith speechless. _'I think I struck them dumb!'_

"What will happen to us when we find your people? Who will stop them from killing us?" asked another Wraith, the one that fed upon Tyre.

"I will stop them and explain the situation." Miranda noticed he also had a strange tattoo on his face.

"And how can we be sure you will honor the deal?" the same Wraith asked, breaking the silence.

"I give you my word," she said with dignity, staring defiantly at him.

She knew they could communicate with each other while speaking with her. Her Wraith hadn't stopped glaring at her. She looked into the yellow eyes, sensing the uncontrolled emotions that whirled in him. _'It is so strange to feel what he feels… Can he read my emotions in the same way I read his?'_

The screams resounded again and Miranda broke the link between her and the Wraith.

"Well? What is your decision?" she asked, trying to look confident and calm.

* * *

The Interrogation Hall was obscured by mist. McKay was restrained on the organic table, breathing heavily and screaming aloud while a tall Wraith did something to him. Miranda couldn't see what the Wraith was doing, but listening to the agony in Rodney's cries, it was nothing good. Several men, Wraith worshippers, had gathered around him. On the wall there were cocoons. She picked out Ericson and Davidson in two of them.

She turned to the Wraith standing on the other side of the corridor. They had reached this area of the research facility, meeting several worshipers and three drones on the way. The drones had been killed and _his_ friends fed upon the worshippers.

Her Wraith raised the stunner and shot the interrogator. The enemy Wraith fell on the floor and they rushed into the Hall. Miranda ran to the table, while the other Wraith stunned the worshippers and fed on them.

"Rodney!" she exclaimed, frozen and terrified. On the table laid Rodney, forty years older. He seemed dizzy and from his hooded eyes flew streams of tears. "This Wraith fed upon you!"

"Miranda…they told me you'd been killed." He opened his eyes and looked at her, bursting into tears. She released the restraints and tried to move his limp body.

One of the Wraith used his sharp claws to cut the organic material of the cocoon that held Ericson, while another helped Davidson to stand trembling in the cold air. The marines glared at the Wraith, shocked.

"Why? I thought they would question you first!" Infuriated, she grasped his waist and forced him to stand up. He hung onto her, silently crying.

"They feed upon the selected humans and then give their life back. This is the way to make them worshippers!" He was trying to breathe and walk.

Miranda led him to the exit and then McKay saw the Wraith. He yelled and tried to run away. She lost her balance and fell with the shocked McKay to the floor.

"Rodney! This is the Wraith that fed upon me on X69-MG. He is helping us to escape!"

McKay stopped his attempts to run and looked at the silent Wraith.

"Really? How did you do it?" he babbled, terrified.

"He and his brothers had been captured. Tyre tried to convince me to submit to him, thinking the Wraith feeding would break me. I offered a deal to them to help us and they agreed. So, I suggest backing up and focusing, Rodney." She lifted him and stood up. Leaning Rodney on the edge of the table, she turned and faced her Wraith.

"If I let you feed upon me, could you undo the ageing?" she asked, agitated.

_He _didn't say a word, just stepped closer, gently put his hand on her chest and fed for a few seconds. Then he plunged towards McKay and slammed into his chest. Miranda watched while Rodney received the Gift of Life. She had kept her word and allowed the Wraith to feed upon her. After so many Wraith feedings in such a short time, Miranda felt full of strength. She was sensing her Wraith much stronger than before. If it wasn't to restore McKay, and find Ronon and the marines, she would have spent the whole day enjoying the new feeling.

Her Wraith growled and stepped aside, walking to his brothers. McKay was gaping at him, truly stunned. _'He looks young again,_' noticed Miranda with relief.

"Do you know what happened to Ronon?" Her question caught the attention of the shocked scientist.

He blinked and licked his lips. "No. But we can find out."

* * *

"Dr. Langner, I'm so relieved to see you alive!" Ericson said, removing a sluggish thing from his shoulder. 

"I am relieved too, Ericson." Miranda smiled at him, busy with the Wraith organic console. She, McKay and the Wraith that had fed on Tyre were working on it. Two of the other Wraith were keeping an eye on the corridor. Her Wraith stayed close to the console, watching her and McKay. He took a strange glance at Ericson.

Suddenly her Wraith stood alert. "A group of humans is approaching!"

All of them quickly ran behind the curve of the corridor. Miranda heard low voices and the sound of footsteps.

"I think we've lost them," said a familiar voice with a heavy accent.

Peeping around the corner, Miranda saw Dr. Zelenka. Behind him were Sheppard, Teyla and few marines.

"Colonel!" She came out of the corridor. They immediately pointed their P-90 towards her.

"Sheppard! Oh, thank God!" Rodney emerged from his hiding place.

"Colonel, please lower your weapon!" Miranda appealed.

He lowered his weapon. She turned around and nodded to the Wraith to approach. The dim light lit their faces. She looked at Sheppard and saw the stunned expression on his face.

"Don't shoot! They're helping us!" Miranda cried out. Quickly she explained the situation. "They had been captured and kept in jail here. One of the worshippers that caught us let the Wraith feed on me. Then he was killed by the Wraith and I made a deal with them to help us escape."

"They even gave me The Gift of Life!" exclaimed Rodney.

"All right. So…they are our allies," Sheppard said, throwing a weird look at the Wraith, then at the feeding marks on her and Rodney's chests. "Do you know where Ronon is?"

"Somewhere in the complex. We were just trying to figure out…"

She was just about to say something when she felt an odd sensation in her mind. Turning around, she saw Ronon dropping down from the ceiling. His face was twisted in anger and hatred. Shouting, he pointed his blaster at her Wraith.

Miranda raced towards Ronon. "Wait!" she screamed, standing in front of the Wraith and raising her hand against the angry Ronon.

The blast, designated for the Wraith, hit her chest. Her whole world slowed down. Frozen, Miranda saw the blaster set on kill and Ronon's terrified face when he realized he had shot her. The yelling of McKay resounded in the corridor, the agitated orders of Sheppard to put the gun down, and the snarling of the Wraith filled her ears while she was falling to the ground. Someone caught her around the waist, preventing her body from hitting the floor. The strong arms shifted her and she saw the anguished eyes of her Wraith.

Indescribable pain convulsed in her chest. His grief-filled eyes were the last thing she saw before red lightning exploded in her brain.

* * *

Note: reviews, comments and criticism are appreciated. 


	11. Chapter 11 The Blue thread

**Chapter 11 The Blue thread**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and an AU version for Season 4.**

**This chapter is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia, Lujana and odsessed for their reviews:)**

* * *

The red lightning was thundering in her head. Miranda felt something in her chest break and suddenly she found herself looking at the humans and the Wraith from above.

A thin blue thread was connecting Miranda and her motionless body on the floor. She saw the red lightning from Ronon's gun destroying her cells, spreading everywhere. Her face was pale and her eyes open. _Her_ Wraith was holding her body, kneeling on the floor. She could see his emotions lit in red, his anguish. '_He blames himself for my death?_' she realized, surprised. The other Wraith stared at him and at her body, and one of them was snarling at the shocked Ronon. Sheppard, Teyla, McKay and Zelenka were standing, looking grieved and throwing angry glances at Ronon.

She became aware that her body had begun changing. The red lines in her head disappeared and were replaced by blue flashes. She saw the flashes start spreading to her chest and arms. '_What is going on?_' she wondered. The blue thread became thicker.

_Her_ Wraith touched her chest and tried to give her the Gift of Life. Miranda saw the thread between her and her body wear thin and begin to turn black. '_No! No…….._' she tried to scream but they didn't hear her. The blue flashes in her chest and arms turned to red and then black. The longer he tried to give her the Gift of Life, the weaker she become. The thread was almost black when he gave up and stopped trying. In the moment he stopped she felt her strength begin to return.

Then a strange feeling filled her. She sensed several approaching Wraith and worshippers. The Wraith sensed them too and one of them, the one that had fed upon Tyre, warned Sheppard. "Wraith and humans are coming!"

_Her_ Wraith hadn't moved. He still knelt on the floor, holding her body. His eyes were locked with hers, filled with sorrow.

"We have to go!" Sheppard made a decision and looked at her body. "We will have to leave the body here."

'_The right decision. The Stargate is too remote and they will have to defend themselves. I would do the same._' Miranda understood Sheppard's action.

Sheppard pointed to the nearest corridor and headed forward, but her Wraith was still holding her body, refusing to leave it. One of the Wraith put his hand on his shoulder but her Wraith snarled and tightened his hold around her body. '_What are you doing? Run! They're coming!_' she thought, looking from above. The other two Wraith grasped his arms and pulled him to the corridor. She watched the Wraith and her colleagues walk away and then looked at her body. The thread that connected her to her body was blue again, but the red flashes of lightning were still destroying her.

* * *

The enemy Wraith reached her body and one of them ordered the two following worshippers, "Take the body to the laboratory for dissection!" 

'_What? Wait, wait …_' The men took her body and carried it down another corridor. She had to go with them, because of the blue thread that tied her. They walked through the corridors and finally stopped in front of a double organic door. One of the men pushed a red button on a console and the door opened. They walked into a dimly lit room with a few organic beds and consoles. Near one of the consoles stood a tall Wraith with long white hair and a black trench coat. He was studying something but when the men entered he lifted his eyes and looked at them.

"The Lords ordered us to bring the body of this Lantean here for dissection," reported one of the worshippers, bowing his head.

The Wraith looked at her body and came closer, nodding at them. The men put her on one of the organic beds and left the room.

He stood near the bed and silently took a closer look at her. She could see that he was very curious. '_He hasn't seen a Lantean for so long.'_ Removing the torn part of her T-shirt from her upper chest, he noticed the feeding marks. He touched them and then ran a finger down the side of Miranda's face. She could see that he wasn't feeling angry or disgusted, just a strange kind of sympathy.

'_Sympathy? Am I going mad? This Wraith is going to cut me open and I am thinking he is feeling sympathetic?_' She couldn't believe it.

He went to the other end of the room and she focused on the blue thread. The red flashings were turning into blue and she saw her heart start beating. Just for a second the blood began flowing in her veins. The blue thread shortened and she approached her body. She grasped the blue thread and blended with her body. To feel her body again was cool just for the first second. Then a clawing hunger filled her.

'_I am alive!_'

She blinked and looked around, ignoring the hunger.

'_I need a weapon!_'

She beheld a long, thin, spear-like Wraith stunner leaning against the near wall. The Wraith was still busy at the other end of the room, still hadn't sensed her. '_He doesn't suspect..._' She backed up and got up. Grasping the stunner, she aimed it at the Wraith, who'd been alerted by the sound of her movements. She activated the controls and whispered.

"Turn around and don't dare to communicate with the others!" The Wraith turned and looked at her with widened eyes.

"If I understand you have informed your fellow Wraith or you try any mind tricks on me, I will kill you immediately! Do you understand what I am saying?" she asked the frozen Wraith.

"Yes," he answered, not moving.

She nodded to one of the organic beds and ordered, "Get on the bed and put the restraints on your feet and right arm!"

He got onto the bed and put on the restraints with the stunner aimed at him. She fastened the organic shackles on his other arm and lowered the stunner.

"Do you have any food here?" she asked. He was obviously surprised by her question. '_He hadn't expected me to ask question about food, but to interrogate him or kill him._'

"There is sustenance for ill humans in this chest." He threw a look at an organic chest at the other end of the room. She went to the chest, not taking her eyes from him and keeping her weapon trained on him. Opening the chest, she saw organic containers, filled with something that looked like green jello.

Suspiciously, Miranda put a finger in the green mass and tasted it. The jello was sweet and very good. Quickly, she ate all of it from the container and opened another one. She was aware that the Wraith was glaring curiously at her, eating like she was starving. _'I suppose this is the first time he's witnessed a Lantean eating so eagerly!_'

Keeping alert, she didn't sense any hostile intentions from the Wraith, just amazement and curiosity. After the third one her hunger dissipated. Miranda wiped her hands on her uniform and took a deep breath.

She approached the console that the restrained Wraith had been working on and activated it. She barely understood the Wraith language, but she could understand that her Wraith and Sheppard's team were caught outside the complex and were firing at the enemy Wraith which besieged them. She was just about to exit from the program when she saw another symbol. Studying the symbol, she realized that it was coded information for the location of the control crystals which had been removed from the Stargate. The crystals were three levels from the laboratory and according to the computer there were no Wraith or humans around. She deactivated the console and looked at the Wraith. He was silently glaring at her. The yellow eyes were wide open, following her every movement. '_I think he still can't believe what he is seeing._' She could see the funny side to the situation.

Miranda aimed the stunner at him. "Although it was a pleasure meeting you, I have to go." She fired, stunning him.

* * *

Taking the control crystals was the easy part. She did it relatively quickly, losing a few minutes figuring out how to switch off the alarm. All Wraith and worshippers were busy with Sheppard. This allowed her to reach one of the entrances of the complex and find Sheppard, the team and the Wraith. 

Outside the sunrise had just begun and she could see more clearly.

She was sensing her Wraith and his brothers, as well as the enemy Wraith but she was sure they hadn't noticed her. '_It seems that my DNA continues to develop new skills with each feeding! _' She closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking about _her _Wraith. A fast gleaming and she could see what he was seeing.

_McKay wounded in the shoulder, one stunned marine, and the disturbing fact that they were surrounded_.

She touched his mind in the same way he had touched hers in the prison cell and said _'_

_Inform Sheppard. I am behind the enemy and will try to stun as many as possible.' _

It was fascinating to express information and sharing it with a single thought. _'No wonder Wraith use their telepathic abilities to communicate with each other.' _

She felt his amazement. He tried to speak to her. Feelings of relief, hope and esteem bombarded her. Then his thought came. _'You are alive! I…I thought you…I want…'_ He was running out of words to express what he was feeling. '_I know,'_ Miranda answered, sending a telepathic smile and ceasing the link.

She aimed the stunner at the enemy Wraith. '_Its time to find out what I have learnt from Ericson's shooting lessons!_'

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, critics, ideas are welcomed 


	12. Chapter 12 Honor

**Chapter 12 Honor **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis. **

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for season 4. **

** This chapter is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith. **

Miranda walked behind the enemy Wraith, inspecting the situation. From the low hill she could see five enemy Wraith and three worshippers, besieging her people. She aimed the stunner and fired.

Two enemy Wraith were hit by the blue charges. Surprised, one of the other Wraith turned around and revealed himself to her stunner. Miranda quickly neutralized him and one of the worshippers.

The friendly Wraith shot the other two worshippers. Sheppard and the marines hit the enemy Wraith. The battle was short and furious. Miranda stood up and headed towards her people.

She looked at the wonderstruck faces of Sheppard, Teyla and the Wraith. Zelenka was supporting the wounded McKay.

"Dr. Langner, I thought Ronon had killed you!" Sheppard exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"He did kill me, Colonel. I will explain my resurrection later."

He just nodded, staring at her body and the spot where Ronon had shot her.

The eyes of her Wraith were sparkling, as if lit with internal fire. She could sense the feelings that stormed in him and the other Wraith.

'_They are astounded, not believing what they are seeing …and …respected …even??_' She was just about to identify the last feeling, but McKay's stopped her.

"I can't say how happy I am to see you again, Miranda. If you hadn't shown up I would've died from my wounds!"

She looked at his wrapped shoulder. "Thank you, Rodney. But how did this happen? Last time I saw you, you were all right." Miranda frowned.

McKay blushed and lifted his chin, ignoring the mocking eyes of the marines.

"I shot myself…but this was during the battle!"

She raised her eyebrows and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. We're going home and I am sure Jennifer will take care of you."

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Caldwell. What's going on? The sensors are picking up Wraith life signs near you," a voice sounded from Sheppard's radio.

'_So they have come with Deadalus._'

"We rescued McKay, Langner, Ronon and the marines. You can beam us …" He was about to continue, but Miranda interrupted him.

"Colonel, wait!" She looked at the Wraith. They stood there with stony expressions on their faces.

Sheppard threw a glance at her and said, "I will tell you when you will have to beam us. Sheppard out. What?" he asked her, turning off the radio. She could see that he was impatient to leave this place.

"I have to do something I promised them." She nodded to the silent group of Wraith.

Sheppard scowled and, getting closer to her, whispered, "We could take them with us, you know. Keller would be very happy to have them."

Miranda understood his point. She locked eyes with him and said with a serious expression on her face, "Colonel Sheppard, when I came to this galaxy, I signed a contract to be a scientist and to follow the orders of Dr. Weir, or yours in a case of emergency. But nowhere in the contract did I agree to lie or not to keep my word."

She saw him throw her a surprised look, but didn't give him time to respond.

"They could have left me, after they killed Tyre, but I asked them for help and they agreed. So far they have kept their word, gave The Gift of Life to McKay and cooperated in any way they could. I promised them freedom if they helped me, and now you suggest taking them with us. For the Wraith that would be a new jail, even more disgusting because they will be nothing more then guinea pigs for the retrovirus. If you insist, I will follow your order, but this will mean disgrace for me, you, Atlantis, and Earth, because we will lose our honor. "

She continued staring defiantly at him. Sheppard's forehead was still crease in a frown. Miranda could see that he was thinking about the Wraith with whom he had escaped from Kolya's cell, several months ago. She could _feel_ the looks of the Wraith on her.

He raised his eyes. "You are right."

She took a deep breathe, relieved. "Thank you, Colonel." _Her_ Wraith hadn't moved his eyes. Waves of admiration flew from him and the others.

Miranda looked at the Wraith and thought. '_Come_.' There was no need to explain, they understood. She walked to the DHD of the Stargate and pulled the control crystals from the big pockets of her trousers. Quickly she attached them to the controls and stood up. Touching the red activation zone in the centre of the DHD, she saw it light up. Miranda stepped aside and one of the Wraith started dialing the Stargate. The other three were still looking at her. The link between them all was stronger than ever. She saw the Stargate activate. Her mind touched theirs and the words echoed in their heads.

'_Good bye. I wish you well_.'

She sensed their mental nods, while entering in the Stargate. Her Wraith stayed and looked at her. His eyes were enormous, like two yellow crystals, shining on the green face. He gently reached her through the link and their minds touched.

'_I had never thought that I would meet a Lantean like you...so different and so honest_."

She looked at him, amazed that he'd found out she was a Lantean.

'_You have read my thoughts_!' She was angry and ready to blame him, but he spoke again.

'_No! I smelled the blood of the Lanteans, the first time we met._'

She recognized the truth in his words and calmed down.

"Dr. Langner, the sensors are picking up approaching Darts. We have to go!" Sheppard cried out.

She was just about to break the link but he stopped her.

'_Shall I see you again?_' he asked.

'_Who knows_?' Miranda answered with a smile and, breaking the link, nodded to Sheppard.

The sparkling light of the beam hit her and sent her on board the _Daedalus_.

Note: reviews, comments, criticism, ideas are welcomed.

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, criticism, ideas are welcomed. 


	13. Chapter 13 First Blood

**Chapter 13 First Blood**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia and Morgomir.**

**This chapter is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith.  
**

The neckline of the jacket revealed the neck, a big part of the upper chest and the breasts. The low-cut neckline reached the midriff, leaving exposed part of the breast and throat. Blue strips from the shoulders to the bottom of the low-cut neckline attracted the eyes to the naked flesh.

"This is some kind of a joke, isn't it?" Miranda asked, staring in shock at the mirror.

"This is the new Atlantis's uniform for the female members of the expedition", informed her Colonel Carter. She was wearing the same kind of a jacket with black strips on the shoulders. In the room was full with women, looking confused in the new uniforms.

"But this….uniform is too…." Miranda paused, trying to figure out the right word. She hesitated between '_unprofessional_' and '_distastefu_l.' "It reminds me of the first episodes of Star Trek".

"I decided to change the old uniforms. They were too casual, too featureless. I think we will be much more comfortable in these" Samantha Carter ignored her comment and smiled at the annoyed-looking women. "So, the color strips on your shoulders mark your status. The blue ones are for the scientists, the yellow ones for the medicals, the black ones are for the military, and the red ones are for the administration. Any questions?" She looked around but no one said anything.

'_I think we are too stunned by the new 'comfortable' uniforms to ask questions,_' thought Miranda, still not believing that she will have to wear such a uniform. The trousers were more tight-fitting to the legs, with fewer pockets. Instead of the T-shirt with high neckline they now had new ones, even lower-cut than the jackets.

'_What will be next to make our uniforms more personal? Short skirts_?' Miranda just sighed and focused her attention back to Carter.

"Doctor Langner, I want you to come to the Briefing Room for instructions about a mission."

'_I have an important task already. I am writing a new definition for the ZPM_…,' Miranda hated going to off-world missions. She felt great in her laboratory working with McKay and Zelenka.

* * *

Three hours later, Samantha Carter, Teyla, Dr. Keller and Miranda were sitting in the Briefing Room.

"This will be just a short trip to New Athos, the world that we had evacuated the Athosians, Teyla's people, to. They didn't answer to the last messages and we believe that something in their communication equipment has gone wrong. I am sending you to check out the situation," Carter said, looking at Teyla and Dr. Keller. Then she moved her eyes to the woman sitting silently next to them. "And you, Dr. Langner, will go with them and check the listening sensors we have left there. They're not responding. Maybe this is in a result from the sun winds in the system. I want to go there and fix them, as well as the Athosians' communication devices."

Miranda was listening to Carter, when a sudden feeling crossed her mind. She looked at Teyla. After that time Miranda had died, she could now sense all the people in Atlantis and she could tell that Teyla was different. Her presence was similar to that of a Wraith's but like a pale shadow. Wraith presence was like a fire, humans were like ice. People with Lantean genes were like sharpened steel. Teyla's was like smoke left from the burning fire. Now she could feel her worry for the evacuated people, her anger that she had not been with them and….something else that Miranda couldn't tell what exactly was. Like there was another creature in Teyla's body. Her belly was sending emissions like a melting iron.

'_Could it be?,', _Miranda wondered, but could not go on because Carter finished her speech and stood up. Rising from the seat, Miranda took a second look at Teyla and saw that the Athosian woman was glaring at her, knowing that Miranda had felt her emotions.

* * *

"All right. This is the simulation for the new ZPM definition. Do NOT touch or turn off the computer till I return," Miranda told Zelenka, without stopping her preparations for the coming mission. She has put a bullet-proof vest on her chest and was slipping a life-signs detector in one of the vest's pockets. More equipment and a tablet were packed in the grey rucksack nearby.

"Don't worry! I will keep your simulation safe," said Radek, a little tetchily.

Miranda sensed that she had insulted him and paused, looking at him, "I am sorry, Zelenka. I know you can maintain the whole of Atlantis, it's just….I'm nervous when it comes to going off world."

"I know, Miranda. Rodney behaves the same when he has to leave the lab." Radek tried to hide his smirk, unsuccessfully.

"Do you know when McKay will come back from Earth?" she asked, zipping the rucksack closed and heading towards the door. Radek followed her and they went into the transport.

"As far as I know, in two days. I am receiving messages from him everyday with warnings not to touch his things in the lab." He smiled as they exited from the transport near the door of the 'Gate Room. The unspoken words '_like you_' hung in the air.

Miranda sighed and just nodded her head. "Sometimes we scientists are very much alike…" She waved her hand in farewell and entered the 'Gate Room.

* * *

They emerged from the Stargate in the early morning. The dawn has just begun. The sun was rising from the east and lighting the forests in red. Even the nearest lake seemed full of blood.

"Dr. Langner, Jennifer and I will go to the summer camp of my people to see what's going on there." Teyla pulled out a map of the surrounding area, and pointed a finger at the mark of the camp. "We shall meet there in four hours."

Miranda pulled up her own tablet and activated the virtual map. "Okay. Four hours." She saw Teyla and Keller go into the forest and she headed to the lake. '_I hate the forests; you can never be sure what is hiding in them._' According to the reports, there were no big predators or any other threats on New Athos, but somehow Miranda didn't trust the reports.

She had the feeling that someone was watching her, although she couldn't sense anyone.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the feeling that she was being watched became unbearable. All her newfound instincts were screaming in alert. Miranda felt that, with the threat, she was becoming more aggressive. '_Now I know how the Wraith feel when they are fighting or someone is trying to endanger them_.'

She didn't slow her walk, pretending that nothing happened. Her mind was frantically searching for a way out of this situation. '_What can I do? I can't sense them. They somehow managed to escape me.' _She continued walking to the lake. Then a wild idea hit her. '_I will do what a Wraith would have done in the same situation_!'

Miranda ran to the nearest trees and sensed that the distance between her and those who were watching her extended. A new and strange energy was flowing in her body, forcing her to run faster and faster. Just in seconds she covered almost a hundred feet to a very high tree and with unexpected strength, Miranda jumped up ten feet into the tree and, grasping a wide branch, she removed her rucksack and the vest and put them on the branch. Her instincts were dictating her actions.

Her breathing wasn't changed, nor did she feel weak or tired. Standing motionless, she noticed three figures approaching the forest. As they came closer, she realized they were humans, but with weird masks and helmets, wearing dark chest armor and carrying big, wide swords. They began searching around the tree, noticing that her steps disappeared there. Strange, but she could not feel them. Like they weren't even close.

'_Shielding technology_?' Miranda wondered, remembering the reports she had read about the shielding that Michael, a Wraith, had created in his lab on the Terranen planet. She looked carefully at the three men and noticed that one of them was wearing a different kind of breastplate from the others. In the center of the primitive metal armor was fixed a device, looking alike the personal shield McKay had found in Atlantis three years ago. '_Lantean technology_?'

She focused and tried to hold down the aggression that was burning in her. The man with the device stood to the tree and the other two went to the bushes, searching for her.

'_Now_!'

Gathering her strength she jumped from the tree and with a nimble movement landed on the ground behind the man. She struck him, stunning him. He tried to back up, but she was faster. With a single movement she lunged forward and broke his neck, throwing the body away and leaping to the other two. Her instincts overwhelmed her mind; the kill was done for a blink of an eye. A second and another one laid dead, while the third one was dying by his own sword, stabbed into his throat. Desire for killing, aggression, a predator hunting the weak prey… These feelings were whirling in her. The smell of Lantean blood was intoxicating. '_I know how the Lantean blood smells. No wonder the Wraith could have recognized me immediately._'

She stood up, wiping the blood from her hands over her jacket, when she realized what has happened. '_I killed three men!'_ The shock made her freeze; she'd never killed anything more than a mosquito.

Something new emerged in her and replaced her terrified look at her blood-covered hands. '_I had to do it_!'

Miranda forced herself to calm down and went to the man, she had killed first. She wrenched the device from his armor and thought '_Deactivate_!'

Suddenly she could feel the surrounding area. '_Oh, no! The shield has been stopping me sensing the others in the forest!' _Miranda realized, when suddenly a blue light hit her chest and she fell, passing out.

* * *

Slowly, with dizziness, Miranda came to her senses. Lifting her head, she noticed a man with the same armor as the ones she had killed. He was without the mask and helmet and was staring at her. She saw the ugly scar on his face and the cold black eyes that were monitoring her. He was middle aged, with bald head.

Ignoring him, Miranda looked around. Teyla was captured too, tied up and hanging from the ceiling. Miranda was tied to a chair. '_We are in the summer camp of her people_,' Miranda understood and, focusing, tried to reach the mind of the Athosian woman.

'_Teyla, don't look at me. Pretend you are feeling sick_.'

She felt the answer. '_No need to pretend. I am sick'_

'_Where is Keller_?'

'_I told her to run and bring help. So far these monsters haven't gotten her, so I hope she has reached the Stargate'_

A strong blow forced her to shut down the link and to look at the man.

"So, what have we here? A full-blood Lantean and," he turned his head mockingly at Teyla, "the Leader of the Athosians."

Miranda didn't like his gloating. "What do you want from us?" she asked, interrupting him.

"Me? I want nothing. I have already have been paid too generously," he said, and, nodding at one of the soldiers in the tent, he sat down on a chair and took out his dagger. Playing with the shining blade, he smiled at her. "I informed my employer that we have captured her," he continued, nodding at Teyla. "This is just an appetizer for him, till we capture McKay, Sheppard, and the Runner." He stopped playing with the blade and stood up, coming closer to her. "But I have not been paid to deliver you. So I think I'll keep you for myself. I have heard that the Lanteans have many secrets and great knowledge. I saw you how you turned off the device of the Ancestors." He slid the blade down her neck, leaving a thin line of blood. "You killed my soldier, who was the only one who could activate this device, so it's only fair if I keep you in his place. I gave a lot of money for this device and I intend to use it." His smirk was disgusting, as well the way he looked at her. He noticed that the wound was healing very fast. "It seems that the Lanteans have other amazing abilities," he said with raised eyebrows.

'_Why do I always meet the idiots in this galaxy? First Tyre, now this jerk!'_ thought Miranda angrily.

"I won't tell you anything. And you will die when the others come for us," she whispered with a cold wrath.

"You will…and when I finish with you, you will beg me to tell me everything." He sneered, and in this moment the man he had nodded at before entered the tent with a glass vessel in his hands. The glass was full with light blue liquid. He gave it to his leader and left the tent.

"This is the '_liquid of truth_'," informed the man, and he dipped the blade into the blue stuff. "One drop of it and every man or woman willingly begins speaking. It was made by the Genii a decade ago. One of them, my friend Kolya, sold me this. The original purpose of it had been to be used in the interrogation of the captured Wraith, with whom your leader Sheppard escaped a year ago. Some of the Genii scientists found that this drug cause a severe pain and hunger in the Wraith's body, forcing him to answer to their questions. Later, the Genii discovered that it's the ideal drug to use if you want humans to tell you the truth. I don't know how much is needed for a Lantean to take effect. Actually, you will be the first Lantean exposed to this drug." He pulled out the blade and held it to her neck, cutting the skin and mixing the liquid with her blood. He stepped aside and stood up sneering.

Miranda felt a slight ache at the place he had cut the skin, and then the feeling grew stronger, turning into a burning, like a collar of fire around her neck. The pain was beyond description, sapping her strength and energy. It began quickly to spread throughout her body. Soon she was burning, trembling and sweating. She clenched her teeth, trying not to scream. Hunger clouded her thoughts, storming in her.

"Well? Are you ready to speak?" he asked, with a wide smirk on his face.

Panting heavily, she looked at him, "Yeah. Do you want me to tell you what a thundering idiot, are you?"

He stopped smirking and, dipping the blade again, he cut a new line on her neck. Terrifying pain stormed in her head. The whole world began spinning. Miranda felt something in her mind open and, after a gleaming flashing, she found herself in a dimly lit place, staring at a hologram.

'_I am in another mind'_

She realized, and lifting her/someone else's eyes she saw a Wraith with a familiar tattoo on his eye and cheek. He saw _her_ too.

'_I have seen this Wraith before_,' she realized, remembering the records she has seen in Atlantis.

'_This is Sheppard's Wraith, the one that gave him the Gift of Life! But in whose head am I_?'

She tried to find out, when she understood this was the mind of _her_ Wraith. _He_ sensed her too and a mental wonder came to her.

'_You_!'

There wasn't any attempt to fight her, just an overwhelming feeling of surprise and a warm, bright emotion, directed at her that she could not identify. The pain and hunger were depleting her energy fast. Miranda sent him the images of the men that had captured her, New Athos, the blue liquid, the tent. She couldn't think clearly, everything was in chaos in her head. The link between her and him began to fail. Feeling that she was out of energy, that she was going to die, Miranda, with the last of her strength, thought '_Help_…' The link broke and she started to fade away, when a dumb thought crossed her mind, '_I forgot to send him the Stargate address…Oh, crap…_'

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, ideas, criticism are welcomed. 


	14. Chapter 14 Poison

**Chapter 14 Poison**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.**

**I want to thank to Morgomir, Scarbantia, fallenfaeangel, lymbis, WingedIsis16, dragons1 for their reviews:)**

**This chapter is not beta'd yet.**

Hive's organic walls were vibrating at the accelerated rates of the hyper drive engine. The last time he remembered the Hive flying so fast was 10 000 years ago when they were fighting in the War with the Lanteans. Ironically they were again in hurry but this time to rescue a Lantean. He could feel the agitation of the Queen and his brothers. The feeling was flowing in the Hive's link like a storm. When he and his brothers returned alive after they were captured with the amazing story of a Lantean that has given them sustenance without dying, the Hive was truly astounded. And now with the call for help, the decision of the Queen was expected. They will go and fight but they will find that Lantean.

Focusing on the hologram he noticed that they have reached the destination from where the call for help had come. He stared at the blue image of the planet that they were flying to.

'_It is blue as her eyes'_, he thought and with the thought for the Lantean female came a feeling that he hadn't thought he would feel for a Lantean and to anyone else except his own kind. When he first met that strange female he wanted nothing more then to suck _her_ dry from her energy. He was hungry and wounded and the sensation for a Lantean was overwhelming. _She_ was like a whirl of life, pulsating in blue, like an oasis in the desert. Comparing with _her_ the other human males that wounded him, they were like mud.

Feeding upon _her_ the first time was unforgettable. He was sucking and sucking and the energy was beautiful, never stopping or depleting. As longer he fed the more energy came. Like _she_ was a never failing spring of life. He was astounded to feel how _she_ became stronger, like his feeding was giving _her _the same he was receiving from _her_. Then he felt for the first time the link between them. To leave _her_ when the humans began shooting at him and wounded _her _was one of the most difficult decisions he had ever taken.

'_Miranda…Her name is Miranda_….' He tasted mentally _her_ name, feeling an excitement by the single thought about the name of the Lantean female. Unlike the Wraith for the Lanteans and humans the names were public, they shared them easily. '_Miranda Langner…Doctor Miranda Langner_….'

He wanted to stay with _her_ not to feed, but just to be closer to _her_ presence. Like his Queen' Miranda's presence was exhilarated. Thinking about _her_ he remembered _her_ long hair, with a color like a sunrise, with red gleaming.

'_Such an__unusual color. A few tones more red and she would be alike the hair of a Keeper_…'

He remembered _her_ smile, _her_ good feelings, and _her_ honor……And _her_ pain when _she_ linked with him an hour ago. He tried many times to establish a link but it didn't work.

'_I hope she is still alive_….'

_Her_ feeling pain made him fear. The thought that he could loose _her_ was unbearable.

A low cough from one of the technicians that were working on the console, made him aware that he has stopped working and was standing staring at the hologram that now was showing that the Hive will have to drop from the hyper space. Feeling a little embarrassed that he had been caught out of guard he looked at the hologram and the tactic display. He sensed the orders of the Queen Stargate to be dialed and the dart's pilots to investigate the planet and order him to go on the planet and find the Lantean.

* * *

Miranda slowly came to her senses. Hunger was burning in her and the pain was severe. She was on the chair and someone was splashing water into her face and body. Blinking, she tried to find out who is doing that.

"I thought Lanteans are stronger. A little drop of liquid of truth and you failed away. Are you ready to speak, now?" A low and sneering voice whispered in her ear. Miranda turned around her head and faced the man that had captured her.

She looked at his black eyes.

'_If only I was free, I would kill him_!' But she knew it is useless to try it now. '_If I pretend to work for him, I could convince him to untie me_'

She was trembling and sweating when she took a decision. "I will tell you everything what you want to know." She saw the sparks of triumphs in his eyes and his smirk.

"Very good, my dear. I think we will understand each other excellent." He ran a finger to her wet midriff and then to her throat. His smirk was disgusting.

'_I think I will__kill him slowly_', she thought, trying not to scream from the fire that was burning in her. Miranda looked around. Teyla was not in the tent.

"Where is Teyla?" she wanted to know. He hit her face and raising again the blade covered with the blue stuff, came closer to her, "I am the one who asks the questions." She drifted back from the blade, hating his smirk and gloating.

"But I am in a mood to tell you. I sent her to the Gate as a delivery for my employer. As we speak she is crossing the Gate."

'_He didn't say anything about Keller. So there is a chance she has reached Atlantis_.'

He was just to go on with the interrogation when one of his men rushed into the tent with a terrified look.

"Commander Lort, the Gate just activated and few Wraith ships flew from it."

Lort scowled. "Damn it! I thought this world has been culled recently!"

He looked at the soldier then at the Lantean. She was pale and from her nose and mouth were flowing little streams of blood. He came closer and touched her cheek. It was ice-cold. Her eyes were unfocused and she was hardly breathing.

"It seems that the liquid of truth is a poison for the Lanteans", observed Lort and ordered the soldier, "Untie her and bring her to the forest."

The soldier untied her and lifting her body on his shoulder, followed his Commander to the forest. Miranda was so weak that she could not move even her finger. Energy was diminishing fast. Everything in her was burning and she was seeing the world blurred. Outside the sun was high in the sky. The soldier got her body and leaned her on the tree. She tried to stand on her trembling feet. Lort brought out his sword and holding the hilt of the shining blade, he raised it.

"You are going to die so I decided to end your suffering. After all it is better if I kill you than to be fed by a Wraith. Do you want to say something before I finish you?"

Miranda was shivering. '_I want to be fed by a Wraith, more than you can imagine_.'

She clenched her teeth and angrily looked at him, "This is your idea for help, isn't it? If someone is sick you are finishing him and even expecting me to feel gratitude for your gesture? You are pathetic!"

She saw how Lort scowled. Obviously he didn't expect her to resist when she is dying. Miranda felt how the inner bleeding became stronger and the blood chocked her. Spilling the blood out, her last strength left her and her feet gave up. She fall on the covered with leaf ground and Lort came to her and lifted the blade, pointing it to her chest. The buzzing sound of approaching darts filled her ears. Lort heard it too.

Miranda raised her eyes to the blue sky, '_At least I will die under the sky that looks like Earth_'. Lort stroke and the blade stabbed into her chest. Miranda didn't even scream she just hadn't strength to do it. The world faded away when someone began to scream and she heard coming steps. A figure stood in the sun light and she saw the familiar white hair and greenish face with a tattoo like a wave with three lines. The yellow eyes were staring at her with horror.

She smiled at him and whispered "You came!"

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcome:) 


	15. Chapter 15 Purgatory

**Chapter 15 Purgatory**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for season 4.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia, Morgomir, lymbis, dragons1, WingedIsis 16, Angel Slyth, THe KiKO peRsON for their reviews:) I really enjoyed them:) And to the others that added my story to their aler or favourite lists without leaving reviews.**

**I think to listen the call of my readers and to give Miranda's Wraith a name. I believe you will like it:) He will be named in one of the next chapters:)  
**

The forest was dark and unusually quiet. The tall trees concealed the sun light, making the surface gloomy.

Teyla tried to loosen the knots of the rope tied around her wrists without getting the attention of the soldiers. She was so busy with her efforts to ease the knots that she didn't notice the warrior in front of her had stopped. She hit his back and lost balance falling on the damp ground. '_What happened_?' Teyla looked around and saw that her captors were surrounded by a group of humans with bows and spears. '_Three enemy soldiers with__ guns against thirty with bows, __they will be crazy if __they __try to resist_.'

The soldier whom back Teyla had been hit, make a movement to get his gun and the warriors shot him. The spear hit his throat and a fountain of blood flew from the wound, splashing into her face. She closed her eyes, not daring to move trying to figure out whether the new warriors are friends or enemies.

"Teyla! I am so happy to see you alive!" the familiar voice made her open her eyes and she saw Dc. Keller, standing next to an old man with long white hair and something like a scepter in his hand. Jenifer looked very tired with dirt over her uniform and face but alive and well. The old man was staring at Teyla with the most clear green eyes she had ever seen. There was something strange in this man. '_He looks at me like he is reading me_.'

"Jenifer…Who are these people?"

One of the warriors cut the rope and helped her to stand on her feet. The old man was still watching her. She saw how he looked at her belly and then at her eyes with a thin smile. '_He knows_!'

Teyla was distracted from his stare by the flow of words coming from Dc. Keller.

"I was running to the Stargate when I tripped up a landing tree and fall and when I came to my senses the warriors of Davos had been found me. He was willing to help me against the rivals that came into their world. He is the spiritual leader of his people, The Seer." Jenifer lowered her voice and whispered, "And he can see things, that are going to happen …He asked me to come with us to Atlantis because he has a message to our leaders."

Teyla came closer to Keller. "You know that Colonel Carter forbade people from other worlds to come in Atlantis."

"I know but he has had a vision about Atlantis and the war with the Wraith and the Asurans. I think Carter will agree to listen to him. I will convince her. Now we have to find Dc. Langner. She is repairing the listening sensors and …"

" Miranda was captured after you left. And last time I saw her she looked very bad. I am afraid that she is dead." Teyla couldn't forget the pale face of the scientist.

"She is not dead, Teyla." the old man said. Teyla was hypnotized by his eyes. Somehow she knew that his words were true.

"And where is she?" asked Keller.

He just smiled and pointed to the sky, "Up there"

* * *

_He_ was holding her hand and with the left arm was keeping high an organic tube with pipe with fluids that were infusing into her arm. The other two Wraith were trying to stop the bleeding caused by the stacked sword in her chest. The men that had wounded her were tied in the entrance of the carrier. They were watching with disbelief the Wraith fighting to save the Lantean. He had given an order not to be killed. '_Death is too merciful for them_!' Anger and desire for killing were storming in him. '_They will die __in agony for what they have done to her_!' 

Looking at Miranda, he noticed how her face usually with a slight pink complexion was now white as snow. '_She is the only person that I can't give the Gift of Life. What is __a __life for the others is a death for her_,' he thought and felt how something in him would be broken if she dies.

He focused his attention to the scientists that were working on the Lantean female. He wasn't a specialist on the anatomy of the humans and Lanteans but he could see that they can't stop the bleeding. Suddenly her body convulsed and stayed motionless.

"Her heart stopped," announced one of the technicians, desperately working with his hands in her chest. The other one frenetically started picking out an electric device.

'_No! No……._'

Three heavy electric impulses and her heart started leaping again.

"This is all I can do here in these conditions. We have to bring her to the Hive." The scientist fastened the warp and covered with organic gel the place around the sword. He nodded to the drones and carefully caught her legs. The other one lifted her by the shoulders and put her on the stretcher.

* * *

The Chief Technician was watching the unconscious Lantean, lying in the medical cocoon. Three big organic containers were attached at the feeding conduits of the cocoon. So far only a small percent of the nourishment in the containers was absorbed. 

'_She is from Sheppard's people. I can see why the Commander was so impressed by her._' He remembered her strength when she linked with the mind of the Second in Command. To break the defense of an old and experienced Wraith intended a force equal of that of a Wraith female. Her presence was so strong and the most interesting was that her invasion was not intentional but driven by a pure instinct. He remembered how strong Sheppard was when he fed upon him in the Kolya's jail. He had sensed the Lantean in him, but such mind as that of the woman in the cocoon was something he has never seen or heard for the Lanteans.

"How is she?"

He lifted his eyes from the motionless body and looked at the Queen. The yellow eyes were studying the pale figure in the horizontal cocoon. Her long dark hair was sparkling in the gloomy light.

The medical scientist reported, "We successfully took out the sword and stopped the bleeding but her condition is still critical. Her immune system can't fight with the poison that had been injected into the body. We are trying to filter her blood but she has lost so much blood and that makes the task harder." He looked at the body in the organic cocoon and then at the Chief Technician. He coughed and took the word.

"We run some tests in order to find a compatible blood from the worshippers and we found something ….unusual".

His statement caught the attention of the Queen. She fixed her yellow eyes on the Chief Technician, "What did you find out?"

He put his hand on a console and activated a hologram. Red circles began floating in the air. "This is how her blood looked like when we found her on the planet an hour ago", he pointed at the circle forms and then another hologram appeared, "And this" he looked at the new image, "is how her blood looks now."

The circles were replaced by multi-angled forms that were moving fast. They changed again while the Wraith were staring at them.

"What that means?" asked the Queen, throwing a curious look at the Lantean.

"I am not sure why her blood cells are changing. What I can say with certain is that this is not deterioration because of the poison. They are regrouping but I still can't figure why they are doing this. And I am amazed how is possible such a thing. However…I have a theory why this is happening." He commanded another hologram. This time the image was fast-changing spheres and angled objects. "Studying her changing blood cells I remembered that the last time I have seen something close to this was when we encountered the replicators the Lanteans had created in order to stop us. Her cells are changing in a similar way as the replicator's ones when they were trying to break the containment fields." His words echoed in the silent lab. The entire Wraith eyed the figure of the Lantean.

The Queen frowned, "I am sure that she" she nodded at Miranda, „is not a machine."

"And I am sure, too, my Queen", a slight film of perspiration covered the face of the male Wraith, making his tattoo to glisten, „but from what I found I am absolutely certain that the Lantean female had encountered replicator's cells in the recent months and somehow assimilate them in her own DNA changing them and making them truly organic, strapping them from their original goal. Her DNA has absorbed these parts of them responsible for the self-replicating and defense and the other parts have been destroyed. I also found that her DNA has new gene chains I haven't seen in any other Lantean or human. My theory is that the changing we are seeing now is a new form of an immune response of her organism to the poison. It is a new way of saving energy and preventing the poison to deplete her power."

The Queen was about to say something when she froze. A loud alarm sound rang in the lab.

"We are under attack", she hissed and headed to the entrance, followed by the drones and the lower status technicians. The medical scientists went with her. They had done everything they could for the Lantean.

The Chief technician stood alone in the dark room. He looked at the unconscious Lantean and shaking his head uttered, "There is much about you that we don't know…."

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, criticism and ideas are welcomed:) 


	16. Chapter 16 Awakening

**Chapter 16 Awakening**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia, Morgomir, lymbis, dragons 1, WingedIsis 16, Celestial Pendent, SexyScottishDoc, Aria DeLoncray for their review. And to all others who added my story to their alert list:) I am so enjoying your reviews:)**

**Hold on the name of Miranda's Wraith is coming soon:)**

**This chapter is not beta'd, so excuse my English:)**

She was standing on the green meadow, flooded with the moon light. Miranda felt the grass under her naked feet like a wet silk. She was looking at the full moon, enjoying the slight drizzle. The drops were raining over her, warm and soft. Only the sounds of night birds disturbed the surrounding idyll. She tried to ignore the sharp sounds but they became stronger and louder. The moon began to blink. Miranda found that she can no longer enjoy watching the moon and looked around trying to find the source of the sounds. Suddenly the silk grass under her feet became sloppy and the ideal night disappeared.

'_What…_?'

She opened her eyes and saw a console with dimly lights over her. Miranda tried to move but she was wrapped in something warm and slimy. Only her face was free. Despite her covered ears she could hear the alarms, echoing in the room.

'_Where am I_?' she thought, trying not to panic. She moved her feet and hands but the stuff that covered her was resilient. All of a sudden the room began shaking like something big was hitting it. She saw how the light began to flicker.

'_I have to get out of here._'

She forced all of her strength and tore the slimy warp around her right hand. Then she freed her left hand and managed to release her legs. The slippery organic material has no smell but was still disgusting. She almost slipped herself on the floor when she tried to get up from the warp. The air was cold and in the first moments she just sat on the organic floor, in shock from the freezing air. Trembling, she realized she is naked and the only thing that was covering her was a thin film of sliminess, like a hair gel. Miranda looked around. The room was big, almost dark. She stood up and realized that the warp that she has tore was a cocoon.

'_I am on a Wraith ship_!'

The memories began coming on the surface of her mind. The sword in her chest, the greenish face, the hunger, _he_ holding her hand….

'I am in _his_ Hive', suddenly the surroundings were more comfortable, even the cold diminished. 'But where is _he_?'

Again the floor shook and Miranda caught the nearest console. The trembling stopped and all of a sudden the alarm was shut off.

Now, after she was awakened, Miranda was sure something was not right. Hundreds of voices were buzzing in her head, like she was near a bee hive. She concentrated, feeling the voices.

'_All of them are Wraith. Some are dying, others are wounded. And _…', she could recognize a mind, definitely Wraith, but so strong, like a super nova star, comparing to the other Wraith. '_The Queen_.'

She was curious to explore that mind, but she wanted, she _needed_ to know what is going on with _her_ Wraith.

Another hit, shook the Hive and Miranda reached out and found that they are under attack of another Wraith ship. '_They have encroached upon the enemy Hive's territory to save me_.' She made out one Hive and three cruisers. Her attention was distracted from the swift pain in her chest. A glimpse and she saw an angry Wraith stabbing a spear like weapon in the chest of _her_ Wraith, destroying a vital organ. '_He could not regenerate, because of the severe hunger, caused of the Civil War_.'

'_The last time he has fed has been when we were together in the jail_', realized Miranda and felt terrible to watch a suffering creature. '_He can't heal himself, he is going to die_…' She backed up and focused. Saving him was a priority one now. Quickly she searched the room but she didn't find any weapons. '_All of the weapons are now in use from the Wraith_'. His pain was driving her crazy, she didn't have time to equip with weapons.

The decision was surprisingly easy. Taking a deep breath, she headed towards the door. The same instincts that had overwhelmed her in the forest were now storming in her. The cold and tremble disappeared, something hot was boiling in her head, spreading in her body. Removing the organic cover over the controls, she redirected the electric chains and opened the door. There was no one in the corridor and she ran into the direction from where she was feeling him. She was aware that he was weakening but she didn't dare to connect with him and encourage him because she was afraid her skills are not fine enough to link with him undetected with so many Wraith around. The voices in her head sounded louder and louder. Miranda realized she could recognize the minds of the enemies Wraith from the members of this Hive. The enemy Wraith's minds were floating with a feeling of victory, a loathing over their rivalries, plans to overtake their feeding grounds, while the minds of the Wraith in _her_ Hive were whirling in despair, hunger and desperation.

'_They are outnumbered, without humans for feeding and realizing that if the rival Hive captures me, their enemies will have an endless source of sustenance_.'

Miranda took a right corridor, flying upon a Wraith. '_The bastard must have been sensed me_', she realized while his hand was slamming to her chest. The sucking filled her ears, '_I have never thought I will like how the Wraith feeding sounds_'. The influx of energy was so strong that she felt how her ears began ringing. Ignoring the wave of strength, Miranda grasped the feeding hand of the astounded Wraith and with a quick movement broke it. He screamed of pain and tried to free his hand, but her fist hit his face and he fall on the floor. Miranda stepped ahead and kneeling on a knee held tight the collar of his coat. Strange, but she felt great fighting with someone. Then she realized she had met that Wraith before. '_He is the scientist that was going to do a dissection on my body_!'

"_How small is the galaxy. Everywhere you go you can count to meet a familiar Wraith_!'

He was looking at her and she saw how his eyes changed when he also recognized her.

"It is so interesting to experience what is to be on the other side, don't you think?" She asked mockingly, noticing his amazement. His eyes were wide open. '_I haven't seen such a bewildered face_.'

She stroked him once more, stunning him and then quickly removed his stun pistol. '_He has fed, so it won't be longer till he recovers_'.

Miranda squatted and began to undress his coat. She was almost ready when he regained consciousness.

"What are you doing, Lantean?" he asked, slitting his eyes.

She took the coat and standing up looked at him,

"So you haven't lost your sense of smell?" she lifted her eyebrows, watching him calculating a chance to catch her. She aimed the stunner at him and he froze hissing.

"If you try to link with your buddies, I will stun you and then I will throw you out of the first air lock I find out. You know I am _not_ joking." He eyed her and stopped hissing. She gave him a wide smile, while dressing his coat. "I see we understand each other perfectly".

The leather reached the floor, after all the Wraith was a foot taller than her. She was trying to figure what to do with the sleeves, when he said, "How do you know I haven't informed them already?" There was a curiosity in his voice.

Miranda was turning up the second sleeve when he spoke. She just shrugged her shoulders and came closely, kneeling on a knee.

"How do you think if I am capable to revive my body and restrained to Wraith feeding, will something little like a telepathic communication will be a problem for me?"

She slid a finger over his cheek and neck in the same way he had done it months ago. His breathing became faster remembering that scene. She smiled again and stood up, pointing the stunner at him.

"I will stun you now but I think you will awake after few minutes. When you do I suggest going quickly to your ship because otherwise you will be a prisoner here. I don't think the Queen of this Hive will like you enough to keep you alive."

"Why don't you just stun me and throw me out the nearest air lock you find out? Or keep me as a prisoner in the Lantean City?" There was something strange in his tone and Miranda became aware that his eyes are no longer dilated in shock. He raised his eye ridges, looking at her with sparkles in his yellow eyes. '_I begin like that Wraith_.'

She laughed and answered, "I don't like the idea of throwing out the airlock a pretty Wraith like you. It will be such a waste of genetic material." He was again surprised and was staring at her like he didn't believe to his ears. "And I don't think you will like to be a prisoner in Atlantis. Colonel Sheppard may not be in a light mood and you wouldn't want to end up with a name like Dick, would you?"

The stunner hit him in the same moment he realized the meaning of her words.

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Note: reviews, comments, criticism and ideas are welcome:) 


	17. Chapter 17 The Giving

Chapter 17 The Giving

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.

Warning: contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.

I want to thank to Scarbantia, Morgomir, lymbis, SexyScottishDoc, fallenfaeangel, dragons1, Robert1000, Crystal Moon Magic for their magnificent reviews. I really enjoyed them. Thank you very much. You are great!

I want to thank to all the others that added my story to their alert or favorite list without leaving review:)

This chapter is very short because I wrote it while I was on a plane trip over the Atlantic ocean yesterday trying to ignore the turbulence of the winter storm:) I didn't have time to write the last weeks because it is very complicated to focus and write fan fiction, while working and dealing with vampire' creatures like the lawyers:)

I will do my best with the next chapter. I give you my word:)

The chapter is not beta'd, please excuse my grammar:)

Miranda was running in the corridors, trying not to trip on the long leather jacket. She encountered several times enemies Wraith but she was faster stunning them and leaving their bodies behind. She could feel how he was weakening with every second. '_If only there were transports here.._'

She took the right corridor and rushed into a big hall. An enemy Wraith was working on a console and drones were guarding around. Miranda had eyes only for the limp figure in the pool of black blood on the floor. His eyes were closed and the grayness of his skin made him looks like dead. Seeing her, the enemy Wraith snarled and the drones opened fire.

Something in her exploded and the world became slower. Like the drones had been stopped moving, even the enemy Wraith was standing with a vicious expression on his face and bare teeth. Miranda shot once hitting the first drone, then eliminating the others. Her mind was analyzing the situation, while her body was doing all the things independently. '_I've just accelerated my metabolism! No wonder why everything seems so slowly…_' Then the world came to normal again and she found herself in the hall with the stunned drones and the astounded enemy Wraith. He was still standing there not with a face saying 'I will eat you!' but with an expression of stupor. He tried to catch his stunner but Miranda reached him first, twisting his hand and slamming her fist into his face. His body made a short flight to the wall hitting it with a sticky sound and laid there motionless.

In the moment when the enemy Wraith's body hit the wall, Miranda got to her Wraith. He didn't react when she touched his cheek. She could feel a slight pulse but his chest wasn't moving indicating no breathing.

Gently, she held his right hand and opened it. His feeding slit was covered with his own black blood, '_He must have tried to stop the bleeding.._' She pressed the palm on her chest and felt how he began sucking by an instinct.

'_Is it my imagination or there is a difference in the feeling how every Wraith feeds_?' A wave of energy filled her, making her stronger. A whole ocean of life was fulfilling her, wave after wave of vitality, making her body vibrating with the every drop of vigour. She saw how he opened his eyes as the wound was healing. Her mind touched his, '_Are you better now? I thought I will come too late to save you.._' She sent him feelings of worry and images how fast she had run in the corridors. She felt his smile and senses of amusement and gratitude, '_And I was thinking I am going to save you!_'

The link was so strong that she could see his thoughts and his emotions toward her. '_You had worried about me…?._' she raised her eyebrows, looking at the now greenish face.

He looked at her widened eyes, a smile on his lips, revealing the sharp teeth, '_Yes…_' His voice was hoarse. There was no denial, no shame or pretence to hide the truth, just a simple answer saturated with so many unspoken feelings, that her head began spinning. For the first time in her life, Miranda was caught emotionally unguarded.

The nearest controls exploded and they had to shut down the link. He removed his hand and stood up, looking around. He noticed the outstretched Wraith near the wall, the stunned drones and sparks of admiration glimmered in his golden eyes.

"You really know how to _deal_ with the Wraith!"

She just smiled.

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Note: reviews, comments, critisism, ideas are welcome 


	18. Chapter 18 A Touch

**Chapter 18**** A Touch**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains ****violence and spoilers for Season 4.**

**I want to thank to Scarbantia, Morgomir, Angel Slyth, Robert1000, FeatherKeeper, lightcard, lindajrit, Neinka, AmethystFeyral for their encouraging reviews******** And to all the other who liked my story without leaving review.**

**This story is beta'd by Amaruk Wolfheart of the Wraith.**

There was something strange in the Hive's chambers. Perhaps the slight mist, floating over the floors or the humid air that was making breathing so hard. '_The life support systems must have been hit_.' Miranda took a deep breath and tried to wipe off the thin film of sweat covering her forehead. The leather sleeve of her Wraith coat wasn't designed for that, she realized. '_Obviously the Wraith don't sweat easily.'_

Turning around, she noticed that her Wraith and four of his …_colleagues_ were done relocating the conduits of the power console. '_My Wraith…I have to give him a name. Something beautiful and strong, not a nickname like Sheppard's Bob and Ste_ve…_or Dick_.' Ten drones were standing near the entrance, guarding the room. Miranda and her Wraith had discovered the chamber while trying to reach the Command Center. He'd wanted to continue to a safer place, not willing to risk her life, but she pointed out that 1) she is capable of taking care of herself and 2) if he wants to help his brothers they have to secure this wing of the Hive or else the enemy will be able to surround them. He had given her a weird look and, in the end, agreed.

While preparing for the invasion into the chamber, she felt something strange. The presence of the Queen's mind had disappeared. Glancing around, she noticed that her Wraith stood frozen.

"What happened? The Queen…?" she asked, her hands still buried in the slimy electric chains of the controls.

He looked at her with so much desperation in his eyes that Miranda felt a strong urge to give him a hug. "The Queen …was stunned!"

"Not killed?"

"If she had been killed I would have felt it." He began frenetically cutting the organic cover of the upper controls, trying to show strength and pretending he didn't feel anything. Miranda stood up and caught his arm, forcing him to stop and look at her.

"What will happen to the Queen? Why would your enemy just stun her? I thought the enemy Queen would want to eliminate her rival."

"The enemy Hive doesn't have a Queen," he said. "When we met in that forest several months ago, this Hive was attacking our territory with the intention…"

"Not just to take over your feeding ground?" Miranda asked.

"No. They have destroyed three other Hives, gaining control of their feeding grounds. I know they have tried to capture the Queens of the fallen Hives, but…a Wraith Queen is not one that would let herself be captured alive by another Hive." He took a deep breath and Miranda could feel his suffering.

"What will they do to her? Isn't the Queen stronger than male Wraith?"

"She is…when she is in conscious. But they will keep her sedated and force her to breed new soldiers. This is a terrible fate for a Queen." He was tearing the organic materials into small pieces. Looking at his trembling hands, Miranda finally realized what has happening,

"Your Queen didn't order the Hive to self-destruct because of me. She knew the risks but still she had enough courage to enter the enemy Hive's territory and to fight with them!"

Miranda lifted her gaze and looked into her Wraith's yellow eyes. She gently raised her right hand and touched his face, running her palm over his tattoo and eyebrow. His skin was cool but surprisingly soft. She realized this was the first time she'd ever touched him. Her mind reached out to his and her words echoed in their heads. '_I will not let this happen_!'

* * *

The door of the chamber was blown to pieces and the controls burned to smoking holes. They invaded the room, stunning the enemy Wraith commander and several drones. Miranda wasn't sure who was most surprised – the enemy Wraith or the friendly Wraith wrapped up tightly in cocoons. One of them was stacked on the wall with a naked chest. '_What is this? An interrogation_?' she wondered, while tearing up the wraps around one of the tied Wraith. _He_ carefully released the stacked Wraith and continued with the others. All of them were staring at her as if they'd met her before. '_He must have shown them what I did before._'

After releasing the last drone,_he_ stood up with an uncomfortable look. '_For the first time, I get to see a Wraith feeling awkward_.' She knew what he wanted and just turned to the nearest Wraith, the one with the naked chest. The collar of the coat she'd stolen was still open after she had done it for her Wraith. The pale white skin of her throat and upper chest contrasted sharply with the red blood left from the feeding. She looked at the Wraith, standing still and calm. The Wraith hadn't moved his eyes from her, stepping closer and slowly extending his right arm to her while with his left hand he caught her shoulder. The sucking sound, like someone was sipping water from a glass, filled her ears at the same time strength flowed into her veins. Miranda looked at _her_ Wraith and then at the others. Their expressions were frozen, almost as though they were standing in awe. Then she faced the Wraith that was feeding once again. He stepped aside and she just raised her eyebrows to the other Wraith.

"Well, who's next?"

* * *

Miranda was standing and trying to concentrate on the data that was flowing on the computer tablet before her. The screwed-up life support systems didn't help at all. She felt like a volcano about to erupt. '_Sixteen feedings and I feel like I'm burning with energy._' Electric waves were floating in her body, and even her bare feet were vibrating despite the cold organic floor.

One of the released Wraith had brought her the computer tablet, rescued from the branches of the tree on New Athos, and she had managed to hook it up to the organic console.

"The main systems are isolated," announced one of the Wraith, and Miranda looked up at her Wraith. He extended his hand over the console and their eyes touched. "I hope your plan works."

"Of course it will work. I've tested this program on a Wraith cruiser, so I'm pretty sure it will work on a Hive. Your rivals don't expect resistance from that part of the Hive. According to them, this wing is secured. That's why we didn't encounter any soldiers." A little smirk appeared on her lips. "And I am sure that they didn't expect the weapons to be overridden by a secondary system console, nor that it would be a target for that kind of a program."

The holographic image of the life signs of the Queen and the Wraith that surrounded her was blinking over the console. The first thing Miranda did after overriding the console was to lock down the chamber where the Queen was held captive. Then she vented out the atmosphere from that wing of the Hive that surrounded the chamber. This gave them time to finish with the other systems and forced the enemy Wraith to search for a way to get to the stunned Queen.

His fingers pushed a button and the weapon cannons fired, targeting the nearest cruiser. The ship exploded and the flames caused a chain reaction which drew the other two cruisers into the explosion.

She nodded to one of the Wraith standing nearby. He was manning the former control station of the life support, now a commanding unit of the isolated main systems.

* * *

On board the enemy Hive, the Command Center was buzzing with activity. The data streams were flowing on the holograph screens, sending information about the destroyed cruisers.

On a platform at the far end of the room was seated a male Wraith. He was wearing a long leather coat with metal chest armor. Long white hair almost reached the armrests of the organic chair. Not one of the Wraith standing at the consoles dared to meet his sharp gaze. The face of the sitting Wraith was surprisingly calm in contrast with his burning eyes, now fixed on the Wraith kneeling before him.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you at once. You, the First Scientist, are coming back from this conquered Hive with the insipid story of how some naked Lantean female stunned you _twice_and then took your uniform. And you want me to believe that a Lantean would allow you to escape?" The voice of the Wraith leader thundered throughout the Command Center, drowning out the noises of beeping consoles. Every Wraith in the room tried to become invisible.

The kneeling Wraith was staring into the eyes of his leader, saying nothing. His face was lighter green and pale than those of other Wraith. '_I should have insisted that she throw me out of the first air lock she found. That would have been better than ending up as food_!'

"My King, I …" He tried to explain, but the Wraith King rose from the chair and grasped him by the throat, extending his right hand to feed upon him.

In the moment before the Wraith leader slammed his hand down, an alarm sounded in the room. He stopped and looked at one of the shocked Wraith technicians.

"My King, all of the systems were invaded and now are shutting down the weapons and hyper drive!" the terrified technician announced.

"How is that possible!?" The Wraith King threw the choking scientist away and ran to the console. Suddenly all of the data flows disappeared, replaced by an image of a human female.

Everyone in the room recognized the uniform of the First Scientist that woman was wearing. The feeding marks on her chest drew the attention of every Wraith. The woman was looking straight at the King and behind her stood a Wraith with signs of the Second in Command. There was no fear in her eyes, just cold self-confidence and anger.

"Tell your warriors to leave the Queen's chambers. If they do it in the next 30 seconds, your ship will remain in one piece!" she commanded.

"How dare you…" The King was infuriated, but she interrupted him.

"Twenty seconds!" Her blue eyes flashed. The King scowled as another alarm sounded in the Command Center.

"Is she telling the truth?" he asked the technician, who just nodded.

"She just started our self-destruct system."

"Ten seconds!" Obviously the Lantean female was not the type of woman that likes to be kept waiting.

The King's face twisted in anger. "I gave them an order to get back here and to leave the Queen unharmed."

She raised her eyebrow and looked aside, searching for confirmation. She looked back at the King. "Good!" She was just about to shut down the transmission when the King stepped forward.

"You will go now, Lantean, but I will find you and then you will understand what a mistake you have made!"

She just smiled, further enraging him. "Really? I am looking forward to our next meeting. But I'm afraid that if I find you first, then you will understand how foolish it is to threaten a Lantean!"

He roared, but before he could say anything she continued. "By the way, do you have a name? After all, what shall I call you when we meet again?"

She moved her stare from the Wraith King, speechless with fury at this insolence, to the silent scientist. He was looking at her like someone hypnotized. Then she again transfixed the King with her gaze and the smile turned into a smirk. "I know the perfect name for you. Mind if I call you Dick?" She was obviously enjoying the look of twisted rage on the Wraith's face. "So see you next time…Dick!"

The link was shut down and the Wraith watched the enemy Hive jumping into hyperspace, leaving behind a single Dart and three destroyed cruisers.

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Note: reviews, comments, criticism and ideas are welcome 


	19. Chapter 19 Like a Wraith Mind

**Chapter 19 Like a Wraith Mind**

**I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

I want to thank to Morgomir, Robert1000, fallenfaeangel, lindajrjt, night animal, Crystal Moon Magic, lymbis for their reviews:) Thank you very much, they were a great inspiration for me.

Excuse me for leaving you for so long without a new chapter. Just so many things happened in my life that I didn't have time and desire to write. I will try to update more frequently from now on. Something is wrong with my settings here in and I am not receiving alerts for reviews so if you are trying to leave a review and couldn't manage it just write the moderator:)

This chapter is not beta'd yet.

* * *

Slowly he released the hand-controls and looked at Miranda. She was still busy with the computer tablet, speaking with one of the higher-ranked technicians, who was working under the console. He was the one that was pinned to wall in order to be fed and interrogated when they invaded the chamber. She was smiling at him, pointing a finger to a data in the tablet and around her were flowing streams of good will and bright emotions. He was amazed how freely she was communicating with the other Wraith. '_If she was a Wraith_..', he thought, catching himself of dreaming about something that wasn't going to happen.

The Lantean sensed his eyes on her and turned, giving him a smile. He felt how something began to burn inside him, like standing too close to a fire.

"The secondary systems are working alright. And Ron assured me that the regeneration of the Hive is successful", she and the technician met eyes, a thin smile appearing on her lips.

He was so drawn to her presence and at first he didn't realize her words. "I am glad your plan worked. The Queen is safe and ...", and then it hit him, "Ron?!" He frowned, rising eye ridges. The technician just shrugged his shoulders and tried to hide under the console.

"Well, he told me that the Wraith names are secret that is not shared with others outside the Hive, so I asked him how I should call him. And Ron didn't mind the name." Miranda answered cheerfully. He was able only to give her a blank stare. A gnawing feeling became to rise in his chest. '_She gave him a name…and he accepted it_.' He wanted to ripe out 'Ron', to suck him dry till nothing left that could carry a name. '_She never called me with a name_' He fixed with a look 'Ron' who was almost buried into the console. The other Wraith didn't want to meet his eyes, not wanted to open his mind for a telepathic conversation. He could feel his colleagues' minds sharing disturbing thoughts about the action of the Lantean female.

He took a deep breath and came closer to _her_. Unaware of the storm of emotions that was raging around her Miranda finished with the calculations and pushed the 'Enter' button. He didn't say anything just stood there waiting to attract her attention. She glanced at him, "Yes? What's up?"

He tried to formulate a proper introduction for his statement. "Can I speak with you?" He could feel the eyes of every Wraith in the room but he didn't care. He wanted to know, he had to know….

"Of course", she focused her attention on him and waited. Her blue eyes were shining with curiosity.

He looked at the others and caught her elbow, "In private". He wanted much more that to touch her hand but he had to clear out the things with…he chocked mentally '_Ron_'.

They went to the illuminators and he lowered his voice, "Why did you give him a name?" He wanted to scream from her betrayal but he managed to restrain himself to a whisper.

She looked startled, "Well he and I were working on the secondary systems and I had to refer him in some way. Not just 'Mr. Wraith' or something like…"

"But he accepted the name _you_ gave him." He interrupted her. "After what happened I thought you are interested in _me _and now you are giving this male a _name_, to _him_! After I outranked him, and after the connection that was built between us …" he was furious, the rage was driving him crazy and he felt how his low whisper rose up to a shout. He was sensing the attention of the Wraith in the room but he didn't care anymore what they will think of their Second in Command.

Miranda was standing before him with a stunned expression on her face, radiating emissions of surprise and innocence. When he began to shout she stepped closer and transfixing him in the eyes said slowly, "You think that I named him with the intention of…", her mind touch his, reading his emotions and thoughts, not stopped by his delayed attempt to hide them. A wide smile appeared on her lips and she continued with a mocking tone, "sexual encounter? Wow!" she turned to the place where 'Ron' was still hiding and laugh. "And now you are feeling betrayed because of my action?" She shook her head and then looked at him, this time serious, "I didn't know that you Wraith can see humans or Lanteans as anything more than a walking food" her voice was cold like she was speaking about trivial things. He wanted to object but she stopped him, raising a hand.

"I gave him a name without knowing about your …" she made a pause "cultural differences. I didn't even think that such a thing is possible …well not with a Wraith anyway." She nodded in a genuine surprise, not seeing the pain on his face, and turning around, went straight to the console. She caught 'Ron' and pulled him out under the console. He was throwing strange stares at his Second of Command but didn't move or show fear.

"Ron, I want to clear out something." Miranda said in a loud voice facing him and the other Wraith, gathered around. "When I gave you a name and you accepted it I didn't know that this a mark of.." she frowned, "affection or intimacy. So I want you and the others to know that was just a friendly way to make a conversation and work with you. Is everything alright now?"

She was smiling again and 'Ron' just nodded in agreement accepting her words. But when she squatted and began to switch off the wires from the tablet to the controls, he bare his fangs to the Second of Command, who was standing behind the Lantean female, 'S_o you think this 'explanation' will stop me_?'

* * *

She turned off the tablet and began reattaching the organic wires, when her hand stood still over the console. '_What is that_?' he wondered. She stood up and looking around with a twisted face, rushed to the place where till an hour ago were the chamber's doors. He gave an order to the others to continue working and ran after her. He was vague aware Ron followed them but he was determined to find out the source of what she has just detected.

Miranda passed one, then two corridors and stopped in front of a door, pushing the controls. The door opened, revealing two men, a space hangar and a lot of Wraith darts. A narrow path was connecting the door with a big platform. The battle hadn't destroyed the docking ports, leaving them unharmed.

The men were trying to open the hatch of the nearest dart and didn't hear the sound from the opening door.

She slowly walked to the arguing men. They didn't notice her. He and Ron were following her.

"Commander Lort!" Her low voice caused the men to jump and face her with eyes full with horror.

Lort tried to run but for a second he was pinned to the dart. Her hand was holding him with a steel grasp. He tried to kick her but she squeezed and he gave up. His companion was restrained by Ron and was shrieking in despair.

Now he felt it. A black hole of dark rage, revenge and desire for extermination was whirling in her mind. Her eyes usually light and shining with a hidden smile was now slit in venom. A smile, so Wraith in nature on a face of a Lantean made him felt fear. '_For the first time I see this side of her_', he thought and the sense of alike Wraith mind so familiar reminded him of his Queen.

"What did you do with the Atosians, Lort?" she asked, loosening the grasp around his throat. The man gave her an insolent smirk, "What will do if I don't tell you, uh?" He looked at the Wraith behind her and then at her, "Kill me? I know what you the Lanteans are doing everywhere in this galaxy. You can't kill a fly not to mention a human like me." He was now openly mocking her, self confident in his rightness.

The Wraith could see that she hesitated but just when he believed that she won't make the next move, Miranda tightened her grip around Lort's neck and turned him to face 'Ron' and the soldier in his hands.

"And you call yourself a human?"She whispered.

"Ron, would you mind if you suck dry this _thing_ you are holding? Slowly…" she asked with a honey voice and watched with a cold stare how Lort began to grunt at the view his subordinate being fed by the Wraith. For a few seconds from the soldier left nothing. Ron threw away the husk with a satisfied grin and Miranda released the stunned human. Lort fall on the floor gasping for air in a complete shock. He didn't try to run; even he knew that it will gain him nothing.

She step closer and he babbled, "I don't know what has happened with the Atosians." When she frowned and Ron extended his hand, showing the human his feeding slit, the man cried "I really don't know. I was contacted by a former Genii, his name was…" he was almost suffocating from fear, "Neemo Goen. He was once from Kolya's strike force but I know he was working for someone else now. He didn't tell me the name of his employer but he wasn't a Genii. Neemo brought me the device of the Ancestors and show me how to activate it. He hired me to find the Atosians and to attack them. I was ordered to gather the Atosians on one site and then to leave. Then I found you."

"But you haven't left, have you?" she said.

'_She can read him as I can and she knows he is telling the truth_', _he_ thought fascinated by his Lantean.

"No. I wanted to know what Neemo would do with them", the man confirmed, licking his lips, "He did something with a strange device, not like I have ever seen and then the Gate was activated. Several men came and herded the Atosians, but Neemo stayed."

"Where were they taken?" she asked but Lort just raised his hand, "I don't know, they were around the dialing device and I couldn't see"

She looked at him, considering a thought, "You know, when you were torturing me with that poison, I promised myself that I will kill you _slowly_." She almost hissed the last word. "But know I changed my mind. You are too much a coward and a scum to be killed in that way."

Lort believing that she will after all spare his life said "So everything is forgiven? I was just doing my job, nothing personal…"

Miranda glanced at _him_ and_ he_ knew what to do. He caught the human and tore his shirt, extending his right hand. She was right beside him, still hasn't raised a voice, "I didn't say that, Commander Lort. You _will_ die because of what you have done to me and all the other humans, doing your job. Just you will die _fast_."

_He_ started feeding and while the waves of sustenance flew through him he turned his head and link with her mind. He thought that he will sense a triumph, a gloating over a defeated enemy, but he was surprised to find out only sadness. '_She is not enjoying killing, not even a useless human like this one_'

When he was done with the human, Miranda looked at him and at Ron. "And now gentlemen, I would like to speak with the Queen!"

* * *

Queen's chambers were surprisingly light and without the usual mist floating everywhere.

The Queen was standing in the center of the chamber surrounded by her Wraith.

'_She looks very well for a Wraith that had been heavily sedated_', Miranda thought and not moving his eyes from the Queen's. Energetically she entered in the room not looking aside and walked straight to the Queen. When she was only a foot distance she stopped.

The Queen hasn't move. The two females for a moment just stood there, locking eyes. Each one was a taking a measure of the other one, appraisingly calculating. Then the Queen inclined her head and with a surprisingly for a Wraith gentle voice said.

"I have been shown and told so much about you. And now I am meeting you in person".

Miranda was astounded how different a Wraith' face looks without the vicious frown so typical for the Queens. The female Wraith made a gesture with her right hand to the two organic chairs in the center of the chamber. Her hand jewelry glistened in the smooth light.

"Shall we seat and discuss…."a slight hesitation in her voice, "the current situation?"

Miranda walked ahead and sat on the chair. '_It is really amazing how comfortable an organic chair is_', she thought, crossing her legs and watching as the Queen was sitting on the other chair. All the male Wraith gathered around, standing and silent.

Miranda smiled at the Queen, "I want to thank you for coming to my rescue on that planet."

The other female mirrored her smile, "The Second of Command spoke so highly of you and your abilities. I thought we can come to understanding. You have shown to be reasonable and to be a Lantean that keeps her word."

Miranda nodded and passed her eyes over one of the silent Wraith with a tattoo on his face, standing behind the Queen. He was looking at her intently and she knew why. "Actually if it wasn't that Wraith", she nodded to him, "Sheppard would have strongly objected my decision to let the Wraith go free. After their escape from Kolya, Sheppard believes the Wraith could keep their word and have some sort of honor. That's why he agreed with my decision then." She could see how the eyes of the Wraith widened.

The expression on the Queen's face was unreadable when she spoke, "And if your superior hadn't agreed with you, then what would you do?"

Miranda chuckled, throwing away the hair that fall over her eyes.

"Sheppard …my superior? Oh, that was funny." She leaned on the back of the chair, feeling her good mood coming back. "When I return to Atlantis I am sure Colonel Sheppard will appreciate the irony."

"Let me be honest with you. I am one of the Chief Scientists. I answered only to one who leads Atlantis. Sheppard can only interfere me in a case of military emergency. So the short answer to your question is I would have kept my word no matter what the Colonel tried to convince me."

Her face became serious again, "And now after you assured yourself of my status shall we speak about … the current situation?"

The Queen was looking like someone that has just opened a box, finding a bomb inside it. Then something new appeared in her smile, "Very well. I am very interested in your regeneration abilities and your response to the feeding. I am offering you to stay with my Hive."

"And do what?" asked Miranda, "An eternal food supply? No thanks."

The Queen's smile turned unpleasant. "I could force you to stay!" Not so hidden treat emerged in her voice.

Miranda brushed a speck from her sleeve and smirked, "I am sure that Dick has thought the same not so long ago." She hadn't move, nor changed her body language of confidence.

Her statement caught the Queen with a lowered guard. She blinked, shaking her head. A grimace of disgust and confusion crossed her features. Then she calmed down and sighed. "You are right. I couldn't. You saved my Hive from a certain death and defeat that traitor. I owe you my life." A renewed toothy smile flashed on her face. "_Dick_ is so interesting name. I am sure that he _liked_ it. As well as his Hive!"

For a moment the two females were just grinning at each other at the thought of the Wraith King Dick. Miranda could sense the satisfaction of the Queen and the males around them. "He didn't seem to show his appreciation of the new name. May be because the self destruct and the exploding cruisers distracted him."

"How did you manage to write such a program so fast? My scientist analyzed it and they found out that it is very elaborate." The Queen asked.

"Actually, that is a Wraith program that was targeted at one of our ships during the Siege of Atlantis. After the program was cleared from the ship's computers I studied it and in my spare time made some…modifications. I've tested it on captured Wraith ships to overload the security barriers and to control the secondary systems. However so far I haven't succeeded to override the primary systems." Miranda seemed lost in thought, "This gives me very interesting ideas about utilizing the program for other uses. Hmmm…" She realized she has just got absent-minded by the curious looks of the other Wraith and focused, "Anyway you have the software on your database now and I am quite sure your scientists will find a use as a weapon against the rival Hives." She transfixed the Queen, "And now I would like to offer you a deal." She felt how all the Wraith began all ears. "I will stay here for the next few hours and will provide sustenance for your _entire_ Hive." A wave of anticipation raised in the room. "I know that comparing with a usual human I am giving much more energy so in a near future you won't need to cull your feeding grounds. I give you my word that when the time comes for a new…feeding I will come and provide you again. You have a lot of my DNA to find out what cause my abilities and to learn more. But meantime I want to go back home."

Miranda was talking looking straight into the yellow eyes of the Queen who seemed totally confused. '_She hasn't expected that offer_', Miranda thought.

The Queen glanced briefly around, then back to the Lantean, her eyes full of emotions, considering and then nodded. "I agree to your offer. I am sure you will honor it."

The Lantean gave a flashing smile and standing up, extended her right hand to the Queen. The Wraith female stood up too and looked enquiringly at the hand.

"There is a custom when the parties forged a deal to shake each other hand as a sign of unity." Miranda explained. The Queen slowly touched the hand and let the Lantean to shake it.

"Shall we continue?" Miranda asked. The Queen still staring at her own hand just nodded.

* * *

_Ten hours later. _

"Wow, now I know how Rodney feels when he is overfeeding with chocolate!"Miranda exclaimed as the last Wraith had finished with the feeding. She was sitting at a transport flying to the surface of the nearest planet with a Stargate. Her Wraith was sitting in front of her with eyes like melting gold. Ron was piloting the ship and from time to time was throwing at her flashing stares.

The transport landed and her Wraith said to Ron, "You stay here!" Ron snarled but obeyed the order. Miranda and the Wraith exited from the transport and for a moment she just stood there inhaling deeply the smell of flowers and enjoying the view of the green meadows around. Then she walked to the DHD followed by the Wraith and dialed an address of a planet that would be a starting point for her return to Atlantis. The shining pool of the Stargate plunged and established a wormhole.

She turned around and looked at her Wraith. He was standing close to her and she could see the tiny veins under the skin of his face. She raised a hand and ran it along his cheek, smiling.

"I think you need to be given a name. Something beautiful, strong and noble." Her voice was full of emotions and gently her mind touched his.

Her Wraith touched the hand that was running along his face and stroked with affection his finger to the path from the wrist to the end of her index finger. His finger armor was in sharp contrast with the creamy white skin. "And what name will _you_ give me, Miranda?"

'_I have never thought I will find the Wraith voice so appealing_'

"Alarick", she said and waited.

"Does it mean anything that name?" he asked still stroking her palm.

"It means noble. Comes from the Old times when my ancestors have been warriors. Today it is very rare among us." Miranda couldn't hide her feelings anymore, "Will you accept it?"

A fire started burning in the golden eyes of the Wraith, "Yessssssss!" he hissed.

"Good." She said and grasping his hand, turned it aside and gently ran a finger over his palm, caressing his feeding slit. A pleasure crossed his features. '_Is this the Wraith equivalent of a kiss_?' she wondered. She looked up and leaving his hand stepped aside.

They stared at each other for a moment. Then Miranda turned around and stepped into the Stargate. A second later the shining pool disappeared.

Alarick stood there looking at the deactivated Stargate for a long moment, his hands clenching into fists, like he was hardly restraining himself from running after her. He heard a noise and immediately turned, facing Ron. The other Wraith was standing to the airlock of the transporter with a bewildered face, looking very strange at his Second in Command.

Snarling Alarick rushed into the transporter with a stone face; "We are leaving!" he growled and took his seat not looking back.

Ron slowly entered in and gave Alarick a stare full of understanding.

"Very well."

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, ideas, criticism are welcome:)


	20. Chapter 20 The Seer

Chapter 20 – The Seer

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.

Warning: contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.

* * *

This is an AU fic of Atlantis, so this is how I think the events in the Seer should have happened. I know that I left you all my loyal readers to hang out there without a new chapter so I ask for your forgiveness. Just sometimes the real world is a bitch.

I want to thank to kirt, Shanthaia, Morgomir, lindajrjt, fallenfaeangel, Crystal Moon Magic, THe KiKO peRsON, Jjah – Jjah, dana, wraithlover, Tilius, samurai89, toomuchcaf, eci_frog, WeirdoWraithGirl, starscomingalive for your wonderful reviews:) I hope you will like the new chapter:)

* * *

Walking through the long corridors of Atlantis was something that she will never tire out. Miranda liked it to walk freely and especially to go out for a breath of a fresh air on one of the many terraces and just sit there and watch around the shining beauty of the Ancient City.

'_How different is Atlantis compare with the dark and gloomy depts of a Hive_', she thought, reaching to the goal of her walk – the Detention center of the City. Two guards were standing in front of the door with ready to shoot riffles. When she and her companion Doctor Jennifer Keller approached, they saluted and one of them activated the controls of the door. With a nod, Miranda entered into the chamber and went to the prison cell. She could hear how the door was closing behind her with a slight hissing sound.

With her presence in the room, the Wraith sitting on the bench in the cell, lifted his eyes and looked at her.

For a moment they were just staring at each other. Then Keller took out a PAD and said out loud, "I would like to run some tests on you, if you don't mind". The Wraith barely noticed the other woman in the cell but gave his agreement with a slight grunt. While Jennifer was walking around the cell and making notes, Miranda tried to pretend she is busy with inspection of the security controls of the cell – that was the pretence with which she had managed to get into the Detention Center.

While she was looking at the date on the tablet, her mind reached out and touched the Wraith's.

'_I see that you are looking well after the last time we've met_', she sent a telepathic grin to the Wraith. She wanted to ask him for Alarick but this will reveal too much of her relationship so she had to start the conversation with something more formal.

'_I am_', was his vague answer, then he took a deep breath and for a moment their eyes met again. '_While speaking with Sheppard and your leaders, I realized that they have no idea where you have been.._'.

Raising her eyebrows as if something on the data-screen has intrigued her, she pulled out from the pocket of her trousers a pair of coupling and attached them to the controls. As the scanning began, she answered,

'_They don't know what really happened on New Athos. I told them I have managed to escape from the mercenaries and while trying to find the Stargate I have met a scout party from the Wraith culling. I had a weapon from the soldiers that have captured me and with it I have killed one of the Wraith. That's how I explained my new coat_.'

'_And what about the promise you made to the Queen?_', Miranda could sense his controlled politeness.

Finishing with the diagnostics, she reattached the coupling and pretending to be looking around, her eyes fixed the Wraith,

'_I know what I have promised and I intent to keep my word. From what I can feel on you the time for the new feeding has not come yet, am I right?_'

She felt his mental nod while formulating the next words,

'_I will find a way to be on time for my promise. But I don't think it is necessary for Stargate Command or anyone else to know about my … deals_'. Miranda hesitated but continued, '_You have seen Carter and Woolsey…_' when she mentioned the name of the IOA's representative, she could almost _touch_ the Wraith' sneer, '_if they have known for my promises and especially for my new abilities, I would be now back on Earth, locked in some lab and trust me…_' she clenched her fists, trying to show no agitation, '_the retrovirus treatment on your kind will be just a wonderful spent time comparing to what they will do to me, if they suspect_.'

There was a long silence in the link between them. Miranda didn't expect the Wraith to say some cheering-up words so she just turned off the tablet, when he spoke,

'_I can see your dilemma. Although…_' he made a step to the bars and something almost wicked shone in his yellow eyes, '_I don't understand it. The Queen asked you to stay with our Hive_'.

'_And I gave her my answer_', she turned around and was about to cut off the link, when his thoughts reached her mind.

'_Don't you want to ask me another question?_'

She faced him again and with a guarded expression just lifted an eyebrow, '_Like how is the Second of Command of my Hive, for an example?_' he said with flickering eyes not hiding his amusement.

Miranda stared speechless from the hints in his question, '_Obviously, I am not so good in guarding my emotions as I thought_', she gave him an angry look, '_You like that, don't you? To shock people around, like you did with Woolsey and the hand shaking!_' His chuckle was all the answer she needed. She turned around again and tried to leave with grace when her curiosity won the battle with her dignity.

'_All right, how is he?_'

* * *

"Jennifer, what do you want to be fixed?" Miranda asked, while looking around the Infirmary. She noticed the old man that Teyla and Keller had found on New Athos. According to Teyla he was some kind of a fortuneteller. He was looking very ill on the medical bed. Near the bed stood a young woman, holding his arm.

Keller left whatever she was doing and pointed to the medical MRI' device, "I need you to recalibrate it. Its readings are strange and showing odd results of Davos' brain scan."

Miranda started the checking programme but everything seemed to be working correctly. She opened the maintenance lid but all the systems were functioning in the right order. Closing the lid she noticed that Jennifer went to the door obviously on a call. '_I'll leave her a note…_', she thought but suddenly she felt a presence near by. Turning she saw that the young woman she has spotted to the old man's bed was patiently standing near the MRI, looking at her.

"Yes?" Miranda wasn't exactly a fan of dealing with the natives of this Galaxy but she had to be polite with the girl.

"My father wants to speak with you. He has a vision about your future", said the other woman.

Miranda tried not to roll up her eyes with annoyance, "Look, Miss, I am sure that everyone else will be happy to be an object of fortunetelling…." she looked at the bed and her words faded. The old man's eyes were opened, shiny blue. For the fist time since her encounter with the Wraith Queen Miranda has seen a mind with such strength. '_Strange, I didn't feel it when I walked in.._' Silently she stepped to the bed. He raised his hand and made a sign to his daughter to remove the oxygen mask from his face.

Carefully Miranda touched his hand. With unexpected strength his hold tightened.

With a flashing lightning Miranda found herself in the middle of a battle between three Hives. In instant she recognized the planet above which was the battle – the new world Atlantis has landed.

The Hives were so close to the atmosphere so she could see the shining towers of the City and the three moons on the sky. Strange but there was no signs of Atlantis' defenses, no drones, even no….shield! Two of the Hives were targeting their weapons towards another Hive. The lone ship was heavily damaged.

In a blink she was in the ship – the Command Center was buzzing with activity but many of the Wraith were wounded or dead. Her mind was attracted to the Wraith Commander on the brig. '_Alarick!_' she recognized him and ran to him "What is going on here?" she shouted but he didn't hear her. The consoles started exploding and at that moment she knew that the enemy Hives have hit the power generator causing linking explosion. The organic walls started to melt around her and in horror she saw the flames surrounding her Wraith, "Noooooo! No!"

The world returned again to the Infirmary and while she was heavily breathing, Davos released her hand with compassion in his eyes, „I am so sorry!" Suddenly he closed his eyes and started trembling. His daughter's cries attracted the attention of the personal and Miranda stepped aside.

'_What I saw … is this the future? But …_ '

The calling in her com link for a meeting of the senior staff members forced her to back up. With a sinking heart she went to the transporter.

In Sam's office Woolsey, Carter, McKay and Sheppard were watching at the screen. Miranda recognized immediately what was there, even before Rodney's words, "Another Hive is coming toward Atlantis!"

* * *

"If we cloak the city, we lose shields. We'd be completely vulnerable to attack!" Woolsey's voice echoed in the office. Miranda was sitting on one of the coaches with blank expression on her face. '_I don't know what I despise more in Woolsey – his hysteria or his hypocrisy_'

"And what if he's telling the truth? If we don't cloak, we'll be giving up our position!' responded Carter beginning to raise her voice.

"He's been playing us from the start. This is what he wanted all along." Woolsey insisted.

"All right, wait a minute. A little while ago you thought the Replicators were gonna destroy the city. Now you think the Wraith are gonna do it. Which one is it?" Sheppard as always acting like a knight in a shining armor, defending the lady.

Woolsey looked at Sam, unable to answer. Sam turned to John, "How long until the second Hive gets here?" He frowned, "Two hours."

While listening to the high pitched crying of Woolsey, Miranda was hit by an idea, '_I think I just found out the perfect opportunity to keep my word!_', she coughed and all of them looked at her, '_I will see him, oh, now I am even grateful for this new uniforms Carter forced us to wea_r_! And he will _not_ die in battle!'_

Standing up she said, "I really can't see what the Wraith will gain from Atlantis if we assume he is lying. Even if we are relatively vulnerable with the cloak we can switch to shields for a second and then Colonel Sheppard will destroy both Hives with few drones. Wraith are in a severe Civil war and under attack of the replicators. Even if they know our location they won't dare to start an attack – as Sheppard's Wraith said they don't trust each other. So, I am almost 100 percent certain that the Wraith is telling the truth."

Sam gave her a smile and she could feel the relief of Sheppard. Woolsey was looking like someone with a stick up his ass. Hiding her laugh, she continued, "The question is what we shall do about the protection of _our_ Hive?" her words made the other three people freeze. Sam seemed thoughtful; Sheppard's forehead frowned, while Woolsey looked perplexed.

"What do you mean? They have weapons and they can defend themselves …" he wanted to continue but Miranda just cut the crap, "Yes, they have weapons that are equal in power to the other Hive that is coming. We have seen before a battle between close standing Hives and we know that if one of them is destroyed, the explosion will most definitely kill the near standing Hive!"

Woolsey shut up and she could see how his brain circuits were calculating the situation.

"What are you suggesting then?" asked Carter.

Miranda tried not to show her satisfaction how was the conversation progressing, "I suggest to place outside the Hive cloaked Jumpers. I can make some modification of their shields so they can extend over a greater area. The Jumpers will be located over the strategic points of the Hive and when the other one explode their shield will be enough to protect the most near side of our Hive from the blast."

"They will never agree to that. With their suspicion …" Woolsey might be hysterics, but he was smart enough to have a basic knowledge about the Wraith's psychology.

Miranda creased her forehead, pretending to be astounded by the complexity of thought of the IOA's representative. Looking with barely kept mask of innocent stupidity she asked, "But we only want to help them, not to harm them!"

"Ha!", proud with his genius, Woolsey was almost stuck-up, "They don't trust each other, so why they should trust us? No, we have to offer them an assurance…" he glanced at her, "You are the one who brought that idea, so I am sure that you won't mind to be on the Hive. If we gave them one of our top scientists as a …um…guest till the problem with the enemy Hive is solved, we will show not only our trustworthiness but also that we don't fear to have one of our people be there!"

Miranda was about to burst with laugh how easily Woolsey had caught the bite, but she acted like she was afraid to go on the Hive. After few objections she gave in and agreed with Woolsey's plan. It was decided that Sheppard will inform their Wraith about the protection measures. While the IOA agent and Carter were arguing, she turned to leave to get ready the Jumpers' shields, when she noticed the way Sheppard looked at her. There was a slight grin in his hazel eyes.

'_He wasn't deluded not for a second!_', she realized, _'He has a bond with his Wraith thanks to the Gift of Life and he has seen me with Alarick's mark on my chest. Does he suspect I have the same bond as his?_' she glanced again at him but he just nod and headed to the door, '_But like me, he also has a Wraith to look after…_'

* * *

Note: comments, reviews, ideas and criticism are welcome!


	21. Chapter 21 The Battle

Chapter 21 The Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.

Contains spoilers for Season 4 and violence.

I want to thank to Morgomir, fallenfaeangel, samurai89, starscomingalive, SGA-Seven, Neinka, Shanthaia, yellou, Artanis Eltanin, Crystal Moon Magic for your wonderful reviews:) Thank you, you are great!

This is a late Christmas present for you:)

I'm leaving for a long time - work abroad and I am not sure if I will be able to update the story soon. That's why I hurried up with that chapter, so the story to be fullfilled at some point. At least till I have time and inspiration with the new job and foreign people and country.

* * *

Flying through the clouds, the Jumper reached the upper level of the atmosphere, heading to the space. The rising Sun lit the silver surface of the ship making it glistened as a jewel against the dark background of the Hive. Entering in the opened bay doors, the Jumper was escorted by two Darts to an empty platform where it landed.

Inside the ship, Miranda released the controls and with a mental command shut off the computer's systems, giving an order the Jumper to be sealed when she gets out of it. The front window glass of the Jumper remained polarized, reflecting everything in the cabin. She got up from the pilot's seat and with a last look towards the mirror surface of the front view screen, walked to the hatch.

'_At least I look better than the last time we saw each other_', she thought, stretching the gray jacket of her parade uniform. The blue strips on the shoulders and sleeves were in harmony with her eyes. The low necklace revealing a lot of her white skin. She has put a little make-up over her pale face, combing her strait hair till it was shining as a golden coin, flowing down her shoulders and mid back. The emergency lights in the cabin were giving the blonde clusters copper lustre.

The Jumper's exit opened and she stepped ahead on the organic surface of the Hive.

Three feet away was a lone Wraith Commander, standing on the edge of the platform. If it wasn't for his white hair he would be almost invisible in the dark, outside the light.

But not for her. In his presence the darkness around was as bright as the shiniest room in Atlantis.

Miranda could sense his presence like thousands lit candles. The Wraith moved and for an instant _he_ was by her side. In the dimly light his eyes were shining like a melting gold.

'_Alarick_'

Their minds merged; whirling in a vortex of passion, so powerful that she has a feeling the whole Galaxy could hear them. To see him again was overwhelming. She plunged her hand over his cheek, then his lips, enjoying the forgotten feeling of _touching_ him.

He gently caught her hand and their fingers met. His thought flew into her head,

'_Miranda_'

He raised their hands and whispered aloud, "I am very pleased to see you"

She tightened the hold around his hand, "I can see that" he threw her a look full with emotions and hidden hope that burst into flames of pleasure, when she uttered, "Because I am too".

They stood still for a long moment, holding hands, with locked eyes. He fondled the palm of her hand without moving away his golden eyes from hers. Then he stepped closer and to her amazement embraced her. Their bodies touched, she could feel his coat and chest armor against her chest. The explosion of desire was fired by the first time their bodies met so closely. Her arms clasped around his back and she rested her head on his shoulder. Alarick gently stroked her hair, sliding his other arm down her back. Her mouth caressed his ear with its warm breath,

"I thought the Wraith don't do it". He released the hold and eyed her inquiringly,

"I mean the Wraith don't hug each other", she explained.

He gave her a naughty smile, "That is not the one thing that we are most famous with."

She slid the fingers of her other hand over his eyelid's tattoo dawn his cheek, brushing against his lips,

"Come, we have a little time"

Alarick sighed and releasing her hand, just nodded,

"As you wish"

* * *

She plunged a look at him. The leather uniform of the Second in Command emphasized his handsome figure. The silver symbols on his chest glistened between the clusters of his silky hair. Suppressing the need to touch his lovely hair, she concentrated into the conversation with the Queen. They were both seated on the same organic chairs as the first time they had a … talk. Miranda was quite impressed with the fairy purple dress of the Wraith. '_They really have a fashion style_'. The other female long hair was in an intricate hair-do with a lot of purple and yellow ribbons.

_He_ was standing up like the other two high ranking officers in the room.

"So in order to keep my promise to you and your Hive I came with that plan", finished her statement Miranda and looked at the silent Queen. The female Wraith gave a low snort of approval,

"Very well", her smile was one of the little genuine smiles he has ever seen on a Wraith face, "Then we must proceed with your plan as fast as possible. Although there is a little inconvenience in it. After an hour the other Hive will arrive here and that is not enough time for you to provide feeding for every Wraith on that ship" Despite the words, the Queen's voice didn't sound accusing.

Miranda sighed, "I know but I will try to find an excuse to come again … "She stopped talking when she noticed the faintly smile of the Queen, "You have something better in mind?"

"Actually I have", confirmed her speculation the Wraith, "I can feed upon you and absorb the full capacity of my body with nourishment. Then when we are not in a rush of time I will distribute it among my crew"

"But…", Miranda was struck with the image that idea brought in her mind, "the quantity for five thousand Wraith is enormous, are you sure you could do that? I know that the last time you fed upon me you took more than an average male Wraith but so much…? ", she glared doubtfully at the Queen.

"I can", said the Queen"As your medical scientists know from the previous encounters with the Hive's Queen that betrayed you, my kind is very resilient, especially the females. What they don't know is that when we produce new warriors for the Hive we must feed upon hundreds even thousands of humans in order to provide the energy needed for the procreation. It is a feature that has come during the evolution of our species"

Miranda watched as the Queen graciously got up and walked towards her. When she was a foot away, she extended her right hand and gently put it on the Lantean' naked collar-bone. The sucking sound was like an ocean storm in Miranda's mind. Wave after wave thundered in her, a pure bliss of rapture flashing through her body. _'The Queen's enzyme must be more powerful then that of the male Wraith'_, she tried to analyze the feeling. She was dimly aware that the female Wraith was holding her shoulder with her other hand, but in a state of bliss nothing really matters. Miranda was clutching the arm-rests of the chair so strong that she was has a feeling the organic material will be compressed to a jelly when the feeding ended.

Lifting her eyes up, she noticed that the Queen's eyes were closed and her face twisted in the ecstasy of feeding, _'Oh, my… I am not the only one feeling great'. _

She reverted her sight to Alarick and for a moment wished _him_ to be the Wraith feeding on her. He eyed her with glazed golden eyes and Miranda realized that with the strong telepathic abilities of the Wraith, he can feel like his own the waves of pleasure emanating from her mind.

Hours later for her or what were only forty minutes in the real world outside her mind, the feeding stopped and the Queen stepped aside.

Releasing the almost deformed from squeezing arm-rests of her chair, Miranda took a deep breath, trying to find that part of her brain responsible for talking,

"_That_ was cool!"

Blinking in an attempt to focus she looked at the Queen,

"Did you take enough for providing your Hive with sustenance?", she asked pulling with trembling hands a handkerchief from her pocket.

The Queen was shining with vitality; her voice vibrating with the influx of energy,

"Definitely", the toothy grin was full with satisfaction.

With every breath, Miranda was more in control of her body. When she finished the wiping of the blood on her chest, her hands were calm again.

'_Every time I meet a Wraith I am learning something new. Who would know that a Queen could absorb as much sustenance as to feed her Hive?' _

_

* * *

  
_

The sensor's view screen showed how Atlantis slowly disappeared from a view.

'_The cloak is engaged'. _

The Queen was in her Throne Room ready to look royally when she will have to speak with the Queen of the other Hive. According to Alarick it was uncertain in which territory is Atlantis now after that sector of the Galaxy was a disputed territory amongst several Hives. Some of the Hives have Queens that will have the right to speak with his Queen, while the others haven't and their leaders will have to negotiate with the First in Command.

Miranda and Alarick were in the Command Hall. He was managing one of the consoles outside of the range of the main screen, while the First in Command of the Hive was standing directly against the main data screen. The tall Wraith, Miranda had seen during the conversation with the Queen, was looking quite formidable. _'I have a feeling this Wraith doesn't like me'_, she thought remembering the hidden contempt in his eyes when the Queen has left.

'_Oh, he doesn't like anybody. It is not your fault'_, a known voice sounded in her head.

'_Alarick!'_, although she was surprised by his intrusion, she wasn't angry, _'Have you ever heard the concept of personal space?'_, she pretended to be angry but with _him_ that wasn't possible.

His mental chuckles filled her, _'I have. But thanks to the link we share, I can easily feel your thoughts, as you can mine.'_ His memory of the shared pleasure they have felt during the recent feeding flew into her mind, _'And your mental barriers are not so strong towards me, as against other Wraith'_

'_Oh, really?'_, teased Miranda, reaching out through the link and touched him _there_, sensing how he shuddered with the rapture of the touch. For a moment his firmly façade of a fearless Wraith Commander was shattered by an expression of delight. Only one of the lower ranking technicians standing on the console opposite, noticed the moment of non-so Wraith behavior of his Second in Command. The other Wraith just threw her an odd stare and went on with his work. The First in Command, busy with ignoring her, didn't notice anything.

Recovering from the surprise, Alarick playfully retorted, _'Is this an invitation?' _

Before she could respond to that challenge a hyperspace window opened and a Hive ship emerged, heading straight to the planet and her Hive. Immediately the flirt was suspended and they both concentrated on the incoming signal. A male Wraith appeared on the view screen, speaking out loud,

"You have entered in our territory, uninvited!", the anger in his voice was visible.

The First in Command responded coldly, "My Hive will travel wherever the Queen wants!"

The other Wraith hissed in rage and the communication ended.

'_What was that?'_, asked Miranda.

'_Just another display of the First in Command's lack of diplomacy. Why did he have to put his finger in that wound?'_, answered Alarick manhandling the controls.

'_What?!'_, she still didn't understand what was all that about. He eyed her for a second, _'Did you remember when I told you about how Dick'_, a true venom mixed with jeer emerged in his mind when he mentioned the Wraith King, _'has attempted to capture a Queen in his war?'_

'_Yes'_, she said, still unsure what Dick's battles has anything to do with that.

'_Well, this Wraith you saw was First in Command of one of the Queens that has committed suicide when Dick tried to capture her. He has been on another ship and all he could do has been to watch helplessly how his Hive with his Queen explodes'_, his words were like glowing nails, scratching against his sense of justice.

The First in Command turned to Alarick and gave an impatient snort. She could feel his agitation but also the feel of wrongness, coming from her Wraith. She read his thoughts, _'He gave you command to fire first?!'_, she couldn't believed it but his answer confirmed it, _'Yes, unprovoked!'_

Suddenly the data on the screens changed, blinking in red. A loud sound echoed in the Command Centre, _'They are powering their weapons!'_, Alarick' thought resounded into her head.

'_Oh, no! If Woolsey decided this is a violation of the truce he will order Sheppard to fire drones!_', Miranda panicked, _'I hope Carter will be able to hold him till the battle ends!'_

The Hives started firing at each other till eventually the enemy Hive's hull gave up. The explosion was huge. Simultaneously with the coming shockwaves from the Hive the Jumpers rematerialized and their shields protected their Hive from the destruction that was otherwise inevitable.

She turned to the First in Command. The Wraith was standing there, looking smug. With a nod to his Second in Command and a reluctant stare at her, he headed to the door, leaving the brig to the other officers.

Miranda felt something she hasn't experienced since her dealings with Lort – the idiotic mercenary that enjoyed harming her and the others just for the pleasure of doing it. She felt hatred. A pure, white hot hatred,

"Bastard!", she said aloud.

Alarick silenty agreed with her.

* * *

A few minutes later, looking at the shards left from the rival Hive, Miranda realized something. _'There were only two Hives and I saw three. The vision Davos gave me was not the one of that battle.' _

She glanced at Alarick. Her Wraith was towering over the console, with gleaming eyes and an aura of handsomeness around him. He sensed her eyes on him and gave her a warm mind touch, keeping on his face the mask of a stoic Second of Command. Unsuspecting about her thoughts his attention was diverted by another officer coming with a data tablet, _'No matter when or what this vision is, I will find a way to prevent that fate for him and …'_, she looked around the Control Room at the many Wraith officers storming in the hall, _'_our_ Hive'_.

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Note: reviews, comments, ideas and criticism are welcome!


	22. Chapter 22 Be All Our Sin's Remembered

**Chapter 22 - Be All Our Sin's Remember'd**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: contains violence and spoilersfor Season 4.**

I want to thank to Morgomir, Shanthaia, Neinka, SGA-Seven, fallenfaeangel, lunastrelle, Crystal Moon Magic, Draven, starscomingalive, ANguyen504, Aldariel and Dragonsdaughter1 for your lovely reviews.

I know I left you without new chapter for so long, please forgive me:)

This chapter is not beta'd yet.

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The vastness of Space was in sharp contrast with the Hive. Despite that the ship was miles long, it was only a small point in the void of this part of Pegasus galaxy. The vessel began drifting maneuvers in close proximity of the sun of the system. In a blink of an eye two Earth ships emerged from the opening hyperspace windows and took positions around the Hive, shimmering as the cloaks were engaged.

In the Command Centre one of the lower rank technicians pushed the button of the Emergency Beacon and lifting his eyes from the console reported,

"The Emergency broadcasting is activated. We are sending messages for help to the other ship in the Fleet. The Atlantean ships are cloaking. According to their tracking system the nearest replicator ship is at one jump away."

His words were directed towards his Queen and the other Wraith standing in front of the large view screen. The Queen acknowledged him with a slight mental nod not changing her fixed stare at the space outside the organic window.

'_To be a bait is a risky business, no wonder She is agitated'_, thought Alarick, throwing a careful glance at his Queen. The First in Command was two steps ahead of him on the right side of the female Wraith with a blank expression on his face.

Averting his thoughts from the Queen and his Commander, Alarick glanced at the Lantean standing on the other side of the Queen. He hasn't seen her from that moment when she has come on board to provide them with feeding and even then they had only a few moments together without the curious eyes of the crew.

He realized that since Miranda has given him a name he was referring to himself with the new name and he liked it.

_'She said that my name means Noble'_,

he liked to mentally tasted his new name and felt delighted knowing what it represents. The memory how she has returned the sign of affection fondling his feeding slit sent trills through his whole body. For a moment he was on the edge to drop the whole "Second in Command" stuff and to capture his Lantean like in the old stories and make her completely him. He wanted to embrace her again, feeling that warm smooth skin, the long hair and to see her smiling to him, to see the emotions in those blue eyes, to hear her voice claiming him as hers with the name.

She obviously sensed what he was thinking because she turned her eyes and her lips trembled with a barely suppressed laugh. _'I really liked that part with capturing me and making me yours. Sounds like a romantic story from the Old Times. Can you elaborate, please?', _her mental question sounded in his head.

If a Wraith could blush like humans do, Alarick was sure he would be fire red now. Fortunately the Wraith' DNA did not contain that human trait. Looking smug he said, _'The details are very complicated and need a lot of time to explain. So you have heard about the old stories too?'_ He wanted to know if there was a story that she was particularly interested to but her answer startled him,

'_What old stories? I was referring about the Earth's history when the behavior of my ancestors has been similar to your kind in the wars and a lot of women have been captured and … let's say mated for a lack of other proper word…'_

'_Your Ancestors?! But … you are a Lantean..', _Alarick was stunned_. _

"One minute till the replicator ship arrive", announced the technician.

'_Yes, I am as Doctor Keller said A Hundred Percent Lantean' DNA…'_, she made a pause, exploring his state of shock,_ 'Why are you so surprised?' _

'_But all Lanteans were scientists. I remembered how they avoided conflicts and restrained themselves from violence, even when they could …'_, he was about to mention the Attero Device when he caught himself. She sensed that he closed his mind for a moment and threw him another surprised look.

'_I am a scientist too. But …'_, she hesitated and then added,

_'the Lanteans you and your kind have encountered have been just a minor group of our race - the Race of The Gatebuilders or Ancients - as our historians named them. The Lanteans, as you call them were a small group of pacifists of that race, scientists with strange ideas, seeking Ascension. I think their quest to ascend has been an attempt to escape from the violence that is the major evolution feature of our kind, from the constants wars…', _she seemed deep in thought for a second analyzing the past events,

_'How do you think only the Five Great Races left to dominate in the Known Space from the thousands of species that originated there? With love and peace?! The History of the Ancients is full with wars, internal struggles and almost every scientific advantage is a result from that internal fire to seek new worlds, to explore and dominate in one way or another. The faction of Ancients here in this Galaxy has been considered cowards from the Main group left on Earth. To leave in a moment of a severe War with the Enemy instead of fight to the end.'_

He was speechless from the revelations and couldn't find the words to ask questions.

'_That's why your Leader Doctor Weir has been so tough while watching her Second in Command being fed by a Wraith. The Chief Technician's story sounded unbelievable when he told us about that…'_

'_Because if a Lantean has been tortured in that way this would have forced his superiors to accept the terms and give what the captor wants?'_, her words were not a question but a statement.

He felt the contempt in her words, _'We don't negotiate with terrorists. No one is irreplaceable and Sheppard knew this, as well as Weir or me. If something gone wrong with Plan B and this Hive is destroyed Carter and the Stargate Command are ready to sacrifice me.'_

She didn't seem concern and for a few long moments just stared at the space outside_, 'You know ... If we were living in the Old Times Kolya and every Genii would have been killed and their cities burned to ashes. But now we are behaving civilize…I don't know if this is a good thing.' _She eyed him again. He noticed her irises were like ice blades, everything soft and shiny disappeared. For the second time he saw her in that light. With a mind so alike to the ones of the Wraith females that if her body wasn't human he would have been sure she _is_ a Wraith,

_'If I was in Weir's place the first time the Genii tried to stab us in the back I should have destroyed them…Doctor Weir was an honor for Atlantis Expedition trying to reason even with useless things like the Genii or the other shitty peoples in that Galaxy_' she sighed and gave him a mental smile,_ 'Let's not wasted our time together with the memory of these rats. We had more important matter to attend to.'_

For a single moment all he could do was to stare at her, then playfully responded, _'Oh, I couldn't agree more. How about after the battle here is over I show you some areas of the Hive…'_, the hint of _which_ exactly areas he was intending to show her hung in the air.

Her eyes flashed, _'Is that a way to answer my challenge?'_

Alarick wanted to give a detail description how exactly he wanted to show her his quarters, when the First in Command's voice suddenly intruded in their game. He has just received a data tablet from one of the technicians and was speaking to the Queen, although Alarick was sure his words were directed toward Miranda,

"All power is redirected to the Hull and the hyperdrive is ready to jump when the Atlantean's weapons fail to stop the Replicator's ship."

The Queen only glanced to him with a hidden anger in her amber eyes. The displays of lack of diplomacy and bigotry from her First in Command started to annoy her. Alarick knew that few more mistakes from the First Officer and the Queen would be forced to choose a new mating partner from the other officers in The Hierarchy.

'_Oh, crap. Now is not the moment to be promoted!' _He absolutely admired his Queen as any other Wraith would do with a strong leader, but the idea to mate with her sounded like cheating to Miranda that was like a tornado in his mind.

"We will not fail!", Miranda said with expression that rivaled the Queen's.

The answer of the First in Command was interrupted when the view in front of them changed. A moment of flashing opening of hyperspace window and a Replicator's ship emerged.

"The Replicator's ship is heading toward us and charging weapons!", the technician announced.

The First in Command gave an insolent smirk to the Lantean, saturated with the unspoken expectation how the weak Lantean's laser beams will act as he was predicted. Alarick's fists clenched, stringing himself not to strike at his superior officer.

Miranda just smiled at the First Officer confusing him. In that moment the hidden Atlantean's ships decloaked over the Replicator's vessel and two powerful beams forced into the enemy ship. A blink of an eye and in the place where a moment ago was a piece of the most powerful technology the Wraith ever knew was left only a ball of explosions.

Silence on the Bridge was interrupted by the shocked exclamation of the technician,

"The Replicator ship is completely destroyed!", he announced the obvious fact.

The face of the First in Command was a mixture of fear and unbelieving. The Queen was still staring at the view of the exploding pieces.

'_And I thought that the first rule in the life of a Wraith is never to show fear…'_, Miranda thought.

The female Wraith slowly turned to the Lantean, as a Queen she was not showing her emotions but Alarick could sense she was _very_ surprised.

The console behind them beeped and the technician said out loud, "The Atlantean ship is requesting Doctor Langner to return to their vessel."

Nor the Wraith, neither the Lantean paid attention,

"That weapon of yours…It is not knew?", the Wraith female wasn't asking, just pointing a fact.

"It is not", confirmed Miranda. For a moment the two females looked at each other.

"Then why didn't you use it before? When the Atlantis was besieged or when the other Wraith faction headed to the Earth?", asked the Queen.

Alarcik was curious too and Miranda' answer gave him creeps in his back,

"Because using powerful weapons like this one can be detected. Till recently we were at war with The Enemy and trust me we preferred to suffer some loses here in the Pegasus Expedition than to attract their attention. That's why we used only light weapons. Beside … most of our Fleet was engaged with the Enemy and we could not defend both Galaxies simultaneously"

"And what happened to your Enemy?", the eyes of the Queen was shining with something new and Alarick knew what was that. Like him she was discovering that the Atlanteans were very different from their counterparts a millennia ago.

"All death. It was them or us!", Miranda's voice was calm, "They didn't want to stop their conquest and respect our borders and our ally's worlds. They wanted all and believe me if they have come here the Wraith would have been the first to be eradicated…We never wanted to destroy your kind, just wanted to explore new worlds when your Keeper captured and fed off the Chief Military Officer of the Expedition. Unprovoked!"

Somehow Alarick was drowned at her story. He knew she was telling the truth, _'So many Wraith died because of our overconfidence…'_

"Is this the truth or the Atlantean way of excusing themselves from mass murder?", the voice of First in Command sounded bitter.

Both Alarick and the Queen looked at the Wraith Commander with disdain. It was extremely rude in Wraith's manner to question someone's victory or her way of trying to get the things done right. A vein began to vibrate on Queen's forehead and Alarick shuddered with fear how his ruler will react, _'If she makes me First in Command I will have to say goodbye to my carrier. And to enter in the History like the First Wraith Ever Deserting To The Lanteans…!'_

The stormy explosion of Wraith temper was delayed by Miranda,

"My truth, your truth…Everybody has a Truth…", a smile played on her lips in contrast with the cold in her eyes, "but you wouldn't like The Ori's Truth… When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, we knew all our sin's will be remembered…", she averted her gaze at the Queen, "If you excuse me…we all have to prepare our ships for the battle."

The Queen nodded and Miranda headed to the exit, followed by Alarick. They silently reached the hangar's doors and began walking between the landed Darts to her ship. Alarick couldn't see what was in her head and the sinking feeling that she might have been angered by the idiotic remarks of the First Officer terrified him, _'No touring at my quarters … if the Queen doesn't kill him, I will..'_

He was so sank in his thoughts that he didn't notice they have reached her ship and she has opened the hatch. Her hand on his shoulder woke up Alarick from his grimly musings.

'_Hey, there is no need to kill him. After all this will only cause you to be promoted…'_, she caught his right hand and pulled him in the Jumper.

The hatched closed after them, cutting the sounds of the Hive. She lifted his hand and run a finger over the slit, making him shiver with pleasure.

_'Now or never!'_, decided Alarick.

He grasped her hair with one arm, slipping the other one around her waist while his body was pressing against her breasts. He noticed how her eyes widened but nothing else mattered. His lips touched her mouth, gently at first and then as she opened her lips, more and more possessively. As the kiss was progressing their thongs whirled and battled. He slowly broke the kiss, allowing her to take air and nuzzled her neck. He wanted nothing more than to continue exploring the low necklace of the Lantean's uniform and _much more_ but he knew he must control his urges. He stepped back watching with satisfaction how her face was blushing.

"I thought the Wraith equivalent of a kiss is fondling your feeding slit…", she whispered, touching her lips.

"It is definitely pleasuring but it is not as delightful as a real kiss", Alarick plunged a finger down her cheek and neck, enjoying the feeling of her skin, _'So warm and soft, so different from the Wraith…'_

She allowed him to run his hand and suddenly pulled his head closer, kissing him with passion. Her hands were buried in his white hair. The kiss was so unexpected that left Alarick breathless when her lips moved down and she playfully bite his ear.

'_I am looking forward the next time we meet…'_, her voice sounded in his mind while giving his ear a slight squeeze with her teeth, _'and a way to explore how the quarters of the Second in Command looks like!'_

_

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Note: comments, ideas, criticism are welcome:)


	23. Chapter 23 Teaming Up

**Chapter 23: Teaming Up**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: Contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.**

I want to thank to fallenfaeangel, SGA-Seven, dragons1, Shanthaia, Robert1000, Resistentia, Lymbis, Morgomir, Kelly-Starfly for your reviews. You are amazing thank you!

This chapter is dedicated to fallenfaeangel who is going to have back surgery. Be safe and sound and back on your feet as soon as possible:)

This chapter is also dedicated to Lymbis – I hope you will find the password in your memory:)

This chapter is not beta'd yet, excuse my English grammar:)

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"This is _not_ what we _talked_ about, Rodney!" Sheppard hissed, staring at the Replicator wandering around in McKay's lab.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but the block idea didn't fly. This was the only way!", the attempt of Rodney to excuse himself from the creation of a new kind of Replicator sounded pathetic.

Miranda felt her mind totally blank. Very slowly she turned her eyes from the video screen showing the Replicator, to the silent Wraith. He was watching the whining McKay and the angry Sheppard and Miranda was sure he felt delighted to see the Chief Scientist of the Expedition trying to explain himself.

'_Is that the product of your research to rewrite the Replicator's base code?!'_, asked Miranda telepathically, still didn't believe to what she was seeing.

The yellow eyes of the Wraith sparkled,

'_That's a quitter talk'_

When Miranda lifted her eyebrows, he elaborated, _'These were the words of Doctor McKay when I disagreed with his …lie that we will find a hidden door in the coding. He created that machine there despite my objection.'_

The Wraith was looking smug and Miranda had a feeling he has a finger in the new plan of dealing with the Replicators.

'_Tell me was it really Rodney's idea to use this home-made Replicator for internal diversion? Or you put that idea in his head after the fiasco with the Replicator's cells?'_

He glanced at her and for a moment something close to respect glittered on his face, '_Someone had to see that possibility. And as Doctor McKay said he is best in the impossible situations. This where he shines…'_, his mental words were full of barely kept smirk.

'_Funny, how you changed the plan where Sheppard was the one on the front line of sneaking into Asuras'_, she saw how his smug expression was replaced with caution.

'_Doctor McKay is the best one for dealing with Replicator's technology'_, he said tight-lipped.

'_Or that is your way to protect Sheppard?'_ at her words he threw her almost angry stare, _'Don't think I didn't see how you feel toward him. I know your kind forms a connection with the ones you give The Gift of Life…And Sheppard is not just a replaceable worshipper but …your Brother!'_

Miranda and the Wraith locked eyes for a few long heart-beats, then he responded, _'And who knows better than you how a Wraith and a Lantean feel when they share a bond? Didn't you do the same fighting to save the Second in Command in the battle over New Athos when you could've just go to the first Dart_ _and flee?'_, he was speaking mentally and for a moment Miranda saw a glimpse of his emotions towards Sheppard. Devotion, respect, even…_'Love?!'_, she asked in disbelief.

He didn't answer and too stunned to dig in the feeling, she had to pay attention to the situation in the room.

"Well, we _are_ teaming up with the Wraith. I guess it's that kind of a mission", exclaimed Sheppard and in response Rodney just signed and decided to drop the argument, heading to the door. Sam was behind her desk with a look saying 'I shall kill McKay the next time he serves me a shit like that' and John gave a nod to the guards. They herded the Wraith to the door, but not before his thoughts entering her mind,

'_As Sheppard mentioned it… We _are _teaming up!'_

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Few hours later in the Conference Room were sitting the main participants in the coming battle against the Replicators. Larrin has arrived and placed herself on the place opposite of Sheppard's seat, fixing him with hungry stare. Under her predatory glance Sheppard was trying to look anywhere but at her. His Wraith sitting on the other side of the table was not showing any emotions but Miranda felt how he wanted to break the restraints and feed upon Larrin.

'_Nobody likes the competition'_, she found it amusing that display of jealousy.

Next to the right side of Sheppard's Wraith were sitting his Queen and her First in Command. And on his left side was the Second in Command.

'_My eye candy'_, Miranda could never have enough of him. Now he was looking particularly handsome in his uniform and his eyes were like melted gold. During the last half hour, while the long and full of details explanation of McKay of the latest plan was going on, they have shared some images of what exactly he intended to do when they have a chance to be alone. And she has added some ideas to the plan of their future intimate encounter.

The insipidly sweet voice of Larrin broke the intricate planning of Miranda and Alarick's sexual life, "I could use you in _my_ Chair, Sheppard. We have an arsenal of drones but none of my guys can fire them quite like you can", there was nothing left to imagination of the hints in her words.

'_Oh, my …what sacrifices Sheppard is forced to do for this Alliance with the Travelers…'_, Miranda thought while Sam raised her eyebrows and looked at John. He shrugged and smiled sarcastically at Larrin.

"No place I'd rather be." He didn't seem happy at the perspective of been a breeding horse of a nymphomaniac.

Alarick looked at her and Miranda mentally shrugged her shoulders, _'Well I guess Sheppard will have to just close his eyes and think about England ... or in this case to think about Atlantis!'_

"The Hives will be dispatching sizeable waves of Darts to target the Replicators' hyperdrive engines." The Wraith said it with the usual stony face but Miranda felt how his desire to kill Larrin was growing fast. Alarick threw her a mental smile, _'Don't worry he won't kill her, at least …not before the Replicator's world is destroyed…'_

'_And after that?' she asked._

"My 302s will join you." said Caldwell.

"Very well", agreed the Wraith with eyes promising slow death to the Traveler.

'_No promises…'_answered Alarck, plunging an imaginary hand down her back.

"Now, while I'm working in the Core Room, we'll beam Fran down to the city…", Mckay was interrupted by Colonel Ellis, "Wait a minute. Fran?!"

Rodney's cheeks blushed, "It's, uh, Friendly Replicator ANdroid."

Everybody in the room raised their brows. Sheppard glared at McKay, "I didn't realize we were _naming_ things!"

"It noticed that Zelenka and I both had names and, um ... and she asked for one, so ...", Rodney's explanation faded away at the sight of John grimaces while Sam rolled her eyes, "All right. Let's move out."

Carter began to get up but Ellis coughing stopped her. He obviously wanted to say something more.

"Yes, Colonel?", she asked, with a mask of calm patience.

With his rough way to deliver the news, the colonel looked at her, "The Central Command analyzed the new plan of Doctor McKay and we found one major thing. The Stargate in the Asuran's City will be a way for the Replicators that are far enough from Fran …", he choked with the name, "to escape the planet."

McKay was almost crimson, "But she will be as magnet, they won't have a will to flee…", his attempt to reason was met with contempt from the Colonel,

"And what if you are wrong, Doctor? After all you assured us of many things that didn't go as planned!"

'_I really despise that man'_, decided Miranda, sure that he has enlightened Stargate Command to that so called weakness of the new plan, just to get more points.

Rodney tried to find his voice but he couldn't. Ellis continued, "We agreed with your plan but another team will be beam down in the Control Room to be sure that the Replicators will not escape."

Miranda felt how all the blood in her face retreated. Obviously Rodney's blood did the same, because he paled, "This is a suicide. They will be killed and …"

Ellis snorted, "We are just informing you Doctor McKay, we don't need your approval. According to your plan you will be beamed down in the Core Room, Doctor Zelenka will supervise the operation from Deadalus and this leaves us with …", his black eyes fixed on Miranda, "Doctor Langner. The mission could not be handled to some of the minor scientist, so we decided Doctor Langner will lead the mission to the Control Room. We know that this is a great honor for one of the Chief Scientists to ….", his speech sounded so fake that Miranda wanted to vomit.

She felt how her world froze, feeling the same way like when Ronon had shot her, _'This can't be true!'_

All Wraith at the table immediately react. Alarick bared his fangs, Sheppard's Wraith frowned, while the First in Command's barely hid his smile. The Queen, silent till now, took the word, throwing a deadly glance at Ellis,

"In this case we want teams of our warriors to come with Doctor McKay and Doctor Langner. Just an insurance…", her smile revealed her sharp teeth, "that you won't change something else in the last minute!"

"We haven't agree to that!", Ellis nearly jumped out of his skin with rage.

"And we also haven't agree to a plan that is changing every minute. How do you expect us to be sure you won't plant Doctor Langner in other area of the Asuran City and destroy us with drones? You know very well that the Control Room is heavily shielded and we could not see in there with our sensors!", the female Wraith hissed back. Her expression was so vicious like she was going to strike and feed off Ellis, "Either accept our warriors as guarantee or you will fight with the Replicators without us!"

Miranda caught the glance of Alarick and he sent her an insuring mental touch.

Ellis was obviously rethinking his strategy, "Only one team of Wraith warriors then, with Doctor Langner in the Control Room. After you can detect what is going on in the Core Room there is no need to send another team with Doctor McKay."

The Queen frowned, "Very well!"she glanced at Alarick, "My Second in Command and three other Wraith will go with Doctor Langner!"

Miranda threw him a worried look, _'But there will be dangerous, Alarick!'_

'_Where you go I will follow!'_, he was adamant, _'I won't leave you!'_

_

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_Three hours later, on board of Apollo._

"Alright, if you are ready I will activate the teleport' beam." announced the technician.

Alarick and the other three Wraith had just boarded the ship and the order from Ellis was to be teleported from the hangar bay. Miranda suspected this was in order to humiliate them as not giving them enough trust. _'I don't care what that human is trying to do"_, assured her Alarick, trying to calm down her bitterness.

He nodded to the technician and stepped closer to Miranda. He and his brothers were in metal chest armors, heavily armed. Miranda was in a field black uniform, with Kevlar vest and anti Replicator weapon in her hand.

She noticed that all of the other Wraith were watching her strangely. One of them almost smiled to her. Noticing her shocked expression Alarick explained, _'These are my subordinate officers I thrust completely'_.

'_That is the Wraith version to call someone a friend?'_

She nervously nodded and said out loud,

"We are ready!"

The technician turned around and went to the exit of the Hangar Bay. Miranda immediately reached the pocket on the front of her vest and pulled out two devices. Holding them for a second she commanded silently, _'Activate!'_ and stuck the first one on the intricate armor of her Wraith. The second one she quickly attached to the chest of the Wraith on her other side.

Alarick was amazed, _'Lantean personal shields?'_ He tried to look closer to the glowing object on his right shoulder.

Miranda gave him a smile, while activating the other two devices, _'Yes. McKay smuggled three of the devices and the last one I kept from the mercenaries on New Athos'_, she stuck the last one on the forth Wraith's chest and slowly stepped closer to Alarick.

'_You should have to put it on yourself'_, said Alarick and tried to take it off but the field generator refused to be unlocked. At his questioned stare, she whispered,

"I can heal faster than you and it is harder to be killed than you. I have only four devices, so I made some modifications to this one so it could protect both of us. But I have to be in a short proximity." His arm held her around the waist, while his lips touched her hair, "Then stay closer, if anything happens to you …", his voice became hoarse at the thought of losing her.

"Everything will be okay, Alarick", she tried to smile confidently, gently stroking his eye's tattoo.

The teleport beams rematerialized their bodies, sending them to the unknown fate on Asuran world.

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Note: reviews, comments, ideas and criticism are welcome:)


	24. Chapter 24 Full Circle

**Chapter 24 Full Circle**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.**

**Warning: Contains violence and spoilers for Season 4.**

**I want to thank to SGA-Seven, Morgomir, lymbis and fallenfaeangel for your reviews. Thank you, you are wonderful. **

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**

"What the Hell…?", muttered Miranda.

Instead of being teleported in the Control Room she and the other Wraith found themselves in a dimly lit corridor. She glanced at Alarick but he seemed more startled than her.

She pulled out the communicator, "Apollo, what is going on? There are no Marines with us. We are in an unknown corridor…?"

The static crackling was all the answer she received, "Damn it!"

Alarick and the other three Wraith were watching her with an expectation in their eyes.

'_They wait for me to give orders?!'_, Miranda was so surprised by this discovery that for a moment she just stood there watching them amazed. Obviously it was a time for a decision and while getting the communicator back in her vest pocket, Miranda tried to think of something.

She took the scanner and tried to pinpoint their location. But the scanner showed nothing – according to this Ancient piece of technology they were in a place with no electrical equipment or other energy sources. Analyzing the lack of data, Miranda raised her eyes and looked around – the energy panels on the walls were visible and working.

"Hmm…", she opened the lid of the nearest panel – the schemes were working but the scanner still was absolutely clear that no energy sources are around, which leaded only to one conclusion, "We are in a heavily shielded area", announced Miranda to the patiently waiting Wraith, "I suggest we try to find a console and try to find where we are"

Her words were silently accepted and she could feel their approval. She glanced in the both directions of the corridor and by a mere chance decided they will go to the right. By a mental command from Alarick two of his Wraith headed forward clearing her path, while another one was guarding the back of the group. After 30 meters according to her scanner they reached an open space with many corridors and a door to a transporter.

Carefully Miranda touched the sensors nearby and the door opened, revealing the view screen of the command console of the transporter. Activating it was not a problem, "Well according to this computer we are 3 levels below the Command Room…", she said reading the data.

"Then we just have to go there or …?" one of the Wraith asked but shut up when he saw the look on her face.

Miranda shook her head, "Something is not right. Why there is no one in these corridors? Even if we are outside the Control Room here must be millions of Replicators, ready to defend their ground. And why a transporter to the Control Room and in so close proximity to the shielded area will be left unguarded?"

She licked her lips, trying to find an answer.

"A trap?", Alarick said, tightening his hold around the blaster.

"Or…", she looked again at the view screen and then back at the corridor they have come, "what if this is some kind of automatic defense system against the Wraith?"

Alarick lifted his eye ridges, "I remember when we fought against these machines a millennia ago many of the strike teams would disappear after being teleported in certain zones. Then we believed that they have killed …", he looked around trying to find a way out.

They all jumped up when a laser beam whizzed past the Wraith behind her and tore a hole in her chest. The pain was like an electric shock through her whole body. She was so overwhelm with the pain that she almost missed the second laser beam that hit the spot where a second ago has been her head.

"Surrender now or you will be destroyed!", a human voice thundered in the corridor. Over twenty humans, _'No'_, corrected herself Miranda, _'Not humans, Replicators'_ , were materializing with the transport beams and taking positions.

Alarick has jumped over her, taking her on the floor among the other Wraith that has been lied down. Miranda could feel Alarick confusion and fear for her. She tried to smile at him and to assure him she will heal when she realized her wound was not healing, _'What?!'_

She looked down and saw how the wound was expanding eating away the healthy parts of her belly. This was the moment when she knew that the beam has not been just energy. She had a feeling like she has died and now she is damned to experience again and again the same. _'A second time to die. Full circle!' _

"Fucking bastards!", she murmured and tried to spill out the blood in her throat. Alarck's hands pulled her out of the range of the laser beams behind one of the columns. The other Wraith were shooting back at the intruders but Miranda knew it was pointless. They were outnumbered. The view around began to fade…

"Miranda! Miranda, look at me!", Alarick's voice invaded her stupor. Panic striking face of the Wraith appeared in front of her, his cat like eyes dilated in shock. He was pressuring her wound. She raised her right hand and slid it across his cheek, enjoying the feeling,

"It seems we shall have to delay the tour in your quarters for another life…", the blood in her throat finally made its way out and began to flow down her chin. She couldn't think straight, everything was like a slow motion for her, _'The Replicator's cells must be already in my nervous -system'_, she concluded.

'_No! Don't give up!'_, the shout of Alarcik echoed in her mind but she was so paralyzed that even a mind talk was beyond her abilities.

She could see his desperate attempts to find a solution and the sudden hardening in his eyes. Carefully, he leaned her upper body against the column and for a moment closed his eyes. The blaster shoots from the other Wraith soldiers stopped.

'_He gave them an order to cease fire?'_, wondered Miranda, knowing she was witnessing something extraordinary.

Alarcik took a last look at her, kissing her lips with reckless passion. She was barely able to lick his thong when he ended the kiss and stood up with determined expression on his face.

One of the other Wraith made an angered hiss, "You want us to retreat in the face of battle?"

Bared fangs of Alarick emitted so much aggression that the other Wraith was forced to shut up.

Alarick cried out,

"Wait!"

The Replicators laser blasters towards them diminished and then stopped. Obviously the call of the Wraith has caught them surprised.

'_No wonder they are surprised. When trapped Wraith fight till death then to be dishonored and captured by machines. But…', _Alarick glance at the pale Lantean on the floor, _'there is no honor in watching her die and do nothing'_

He took a deep breath and stepped forward. His golden eyes met the full of suspicion eyes of the commander of the Replicators.

"We surrender!"

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, ideas, criticism are welcome:)


	25. Chapter 25 Oberoth

Turning point Chapter 25 – Oberoth

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.

Great thanks to Morgomir, Shanthaia, SGA-Seven, fallenfaeangel and lymbis for the inspiring reviews:)

Enjoy!

* * *

"You surrender?!" the suspicious in Replicator's voice was palpable.

"Yes. By one condition!" said Alarick, _'Negotiating with machines. Oh, Goddess!'_

"And what is that you want, Wraith?" the weapons of the machines were still aimed at him.

"I want you to remove the toxic nannies from her", his eyes pointed to the pale woman on the floor. For his horror Alarick could feel her body was slowly falling into a comatose state.

The Replicator looked at her, twisting his mouth,

"What we have here? A Wraith showing care for the food? Are you trying to play us stupid?" he pointed the gun at the unconscious human, ready to finish her.

Alarick became aware his heart will jump out his chest,

"No, I swear! She is not an ordinary human. You can see she is from Lantea!" he searched for bait, for something that will make this parody of a man save her, "We are here as a jointly working strike team. You know we and the new humans in Lantea are in alliance!"

This made the machine stops and took a second look at the woman. Then his eyes became glazed. Alarick has seen that look before – the machine was communicating.

Seconds felt like centuries. While he was waiting for the answer that will give life or kill them, he realized that the close proximity of death had forced him to face the truth,

'_I love her!'_

In that moment everything happened in the past months run in his head. Their first meeting, the feedings, her courage, the sexual attraction…

'_If she dies, I die…'_ the thought hit him like a solar storm, _'So this is how humans felt when they are in love!'_

This feeling was an object of open mockery and sneer from the Wraith for centuries. And till now Alarick has sheared the common opinion that love is just a pathetic human way to excuse the weakness of their nature.

'_How is possible to feel splendid and terrible in the same time? Not caring if my life will end but being in pain that she will die?'_ this human thing was that rejected every Wraith instinct he was aware of was giving him a new and not so welcomed sensations.

"She will be spared", announced the Replicator and the deadly nannies spreading on her breasts and chest stopped and started to shrink.

Alarick raised his hands behind his head and slowly knelt on the floor under the astonished gazes of the Asurans. Behind him his Wraith followed him.

* * *

"Ah, you are bringing us the guests, Enrod. Very good!" exclaimed Oberoth and a creepy smile showed on his face.

A group of Replicators had gathered in the Command Room watching on the holoscreens the battle with the joint Wraith-Lantean fleet.

He slowly circled around the Wraith and then looked at the woman, carried by two of his soldiers.

"Excellent, Enrod. Such a lovely specimen we have here", Enrod seemed very pleased by the appreciation of his leader.

Oberoth came closer to leading Wraith, recognizing that he is in charged,

"I haven't seen a member of the Royal Caste from a long time", the smile on his face wasn't exactly pleasant,

"If I read the markings on your face correctly then we have in our hands something that our scientists have only dreamt about – an offspring of the High Queen. Your genes must be highly praised" he was amused by the attempts of the Wraith to remain calm.

Then Oberoth turned his back to the Wraith and stepped forward to the woman,

"And this is a scientist of the humans from Earth that occupy Lantea..." he took a doubtful look at the snow white face of the woman,

"Or not humans but a damned Lantean from Earth", he hissed and the other Replicators focused hatefully at her.

A nod at one of the soldiers and the assistant put a silver disk on the glistening pool of nannies on her breasts and the metallic liquid form absorbed into the disk and then was taken from the Replicator.

The woman's chest moved and she woke up taking a deep breath. The shining blue eyes opened wide at the sight of the Replicators and kneeling Wraith. Her guards quickly pulled her up on her feet.

Oberoth has to admit that she was very attractive even in the black uniform. He noticed her worried looks at the leading Wraith and his smile turned into a smirk,

"Oh, that was sweet. A Lantean feeling sympathy for a Wraith", the gathered Replicators laughed.

Something seemed vaguely familiar with that Lantead and Oberoth was not sure what. While he was trying to figure what was that exactly, the assistant that had taken the nannies from the woman hurriedly rushed through the door and nearly throwing a data tablet in his hands. Raising his eyebrows – a habit of behaving like a human that Oberoth was so proud of – he looked at the information on the tablet.

"Not only a Lantean has been sent to us but a direct descendant of the man who created and betrayed us!" his words caught the undivided attention of the Replicators and even the Wraith.

"What?!" the woman looked astounded.

Oberoth's move was like a blur and before she could blink he grasped her hair, yanking her back and hearing her shriek while she trying to free herself,

"Are you denying you are carrying the genes of the Lantean scientist called Janus?" he asked.

"No, he is my grand – grand etc. father and it's not my fault he has screwed you!" she stood on her toes in an effort to keep the hair on head.

"Nevertheless, you will carry the punishment for his treachery", screamed Oberoth and raising his hand he plunged his fingers in her head.

* * *

Suddenly he found himself in a cage. The bars were glittering with eerie green light and he was feeling helpless.

"What is this? Where am I?" he screamed and slowly from the darkness emerged the figure of the Lantean female. She looked at him and with a seductive move her finger traced the lines of his face. Oberoth tried to step away but he couldn't. The gesture striking reminds him of the same act he has seen a Wraith Queen does with a captured human.

"Let me show you what your overconfidence will bring to Asurans", the words were whispered with a hint of a smile.

Visions started to show in his mind.

He is pulling out his hand from her while she is standing with bent head and the golden flocks of her hair are hiding the triumph smile of her lips.

He is ordering the Replicators to get out and then taking the restraints off the Wraith.

He is standing frozen as she is kissing one of Wraith, burrowing her hands in the long white hair.

And then the final vision came – of her deactivating the alarm program and looking at him with a mixture of pity and determination on her face.

She allowed him to move his eyes only to see how the particles of his body are disintegrating. As he was watching the nannies flying to something that call for them, he heard her voice,

"Farewell, Oberoth. I hope your soul will find peace"

He found himself again in the cage but this time she was looking at him seriously. Even under her strong hold of him Oberoth could feel the fading,

"The Lanteans told us we don't have souls", he said. In these simple words all of the bitter anger that has driven him and the others of his kind reached the surface.

"They believed in very strange things that led them to their doom. Every living being has a soul, even the ones who are not organic..."

For the first time since the Rebellion against their Creators Oberoth felt the previous esteem. Not the blind worship he has experienced a millennium ago but a new strong feeling of veneration towards that exceptional Lantean.

"If you have led the Lantea back then we would have never rebelled. I wish the things have been different" he honestly confessed.

"We all have made our mistakes in the past" she answered and while his world was fading fast he heard her last words,

"And every end of life is just a beginning of another cycle of creation"

* * *

Alarick looked how the last particles of the Leader of the Asurans flew through the door and then looked at Miranda. The taste of their quick kiss was still sweet on his lips.

'_Now what?'_ he asked her.

"Commander, the planet is about to explode and the shielding is preventing the teleport beams!"

'_Now, we climb as fast as we can to the Jumper Bay!'_ she replied and he gave the order to his warriors.

* * *

Jumping and forcing the door open of the Jumper Bay was the fastest thing Alarick has ever done in his life.

She activated the nearest Jumper and headed in. Alarick and the other Wraith followed her getting the back seats while Miranda sat on the pilot chair and her hands touched the controls.

The hatch closed and he watched how the Jumper got off the ground and plunged through the hangar's doors into the Gate Room.

The destruction of the planet has reached the point where everything on the surface was turning into hot lava. The walls of the Gate room were melting and the only solid thing was the Stargate. Alarick knew that the limited shields of the Jumper stayed between them and the hell outside.

_'Dial the Stargate!'_, her command sounded in his head and Alarick obeyed pushing the keys.

Obviously the power source of the Stargate was still intact because the shining pool of the forming wormhole appeared.

The Jumper entered in the ring a second before the planet exploded, destroying the Stargate and a whole star system of Pegasus Galaxy.

* * *

Note: comments, ideas, criticism, suggestions are welcome:)


	26. Chapter 26 Spoils of War

Turning point Chapter 26 Spoils of War

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis.

Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content. If you don't like it don't read it but please leave a comment so I can understand if I have to continue the story.

Comments always make me write faster. Morgomir and SGA-Seven, thank you for the reviews:)

* * *

The wormhole seemed stranger than anything Miranda had ever seen. Instead of the silver tunnel she has used to see during the travels through the Stargate now the walls of the tunnel were vibrating with blue veins. Like the texture of the tunnel was getting frayed.

She looked at Alarick. He gently touched her mind giving her courage. None of them dared to speak.

Finally the Jumper emerged through the wormhole and the collective sigh of relief filled the cabin. The cloak was engage immediately.

A second after the exit from the Stargate Miranda headed the ship as far as possible from the Gate.

'_If my suspicion is correct the shock waves of the planetary explosion will fuck up this Stargate as well'_, she thought concentrating fully on piloting the ship.

They have emerged from the Gate in the space above a planet and Miranda set the course straight to the blue atmosphere of the world bellow, hoping that this will be enough to shield them from the explosion.

"It's good that you choose a space Gate than a planetary one. This will limit the damage from the explosion…" she said and turned to see why Alarick was so quiet.

He was staring through the front window with surprise on his face. The other Wraith stared shocked as well.

Miranda too focused on piloting hadn't noticed the other data the Jumper's computer had displayed,

"Oh, my…"

The upper atmosphere of the planet in front of them was crowded with big pieces of something that has ones been a fleet of Wraith Hives. Miranda could recognize in one of the remains the bridge of a Hive ship.

Something drifted towards the view screen and she gasped. It was a dead Wraith drone, frozen from the moment he has been blown into the space. Miranda became aware that many of the small pieces in the distance were actually dead bodies.

"What is this place?" she couldn't hide her distress.

Alarick met her eyes,

"I don't know. I dialed one of the human worlds in my Hive territory. And I am sure that there was no such a thing in our area of space", he threw a look again at the dead body.

The alarm beeped and the Stargate behind them which hadn't shut down started to dimmer. The symbols on the ring lit in red and exploded turning the ones working Stargate into pieces of metal. The explosion wasn't as bigger as Miranda expected – it even didn't reach the atmosphere.

'_It is logical. Such situations must have been predicted and taken security measures'_

The metal shards were caught by the gravity of the planet, joining the pieces of the Wraith fleet.

While looking at the place where ten seconds before has been the Stargate, Miranda blurted out,

"We are stranded!"

* * *

_An Hour Later _

During the last hour they have searched for life signs and found none. The stars constellations around them were unknown for Alarick except only one and Miranda wasn't such a specialist on astronomy as McKay. The space maps in the data base of the Jumper's computer and her own tablet's memory finally found a match.

According to them they have been fetched up in a remote system of Pegasus Galaxy that according to Alarick and the computers have been and is still unpopulated and with that no interest to the Wraith. This data was in strong contrast with the sensor's readings – a village with about ten thousand inhabitants has been spotted on the surface of the planet. It was located in the Northern hemisphere of the planet around the line of a big river that flew into the ocean.

All of the readings showed no signs of advanced civilization and this rejected the theory some unknown experimental weapon like the one on Doranda to have brought the destruction they were witnessing.

One of the warriors has noticed a Wraith Commander's body nearby and Miranda had moved the ship to come closer to the body. From the markings on his chin and left cheek Alarick had deduced that Wraith has been a low ranking officer on a cruiser. And the cruiser had been a part of the Alliance of one of the leading Queens during the War with the Lanteans. This meant that these bodies have been here at least from ten thousand years.

"I remember when I came to Atlantis and studied the maps that this sector of Pegasus has been marked as lacking any Ancient Cities or any others installations. Then what a Wraith Fleet that has supposed to be besieging Atlantis back then is doing here?" Miranda thoughtfully muttered while eating the last power bar from her emergency pack. The energy requirements after the recovery and the mind control of Oberoth have made her hungry. Once they have reached a safe point in the numerous shards of Wraith ships she has allowed herself to lose the controls and have a snack.

The other Wraith were resting on the back seats and Alarick after reading the data from the sensors have just leaned on his seat, gazing absent mindedly at the view of the half Hive floating peacefully ahead.

"We have always thought that this Fleet has been destroyed in hyper space on his way to The Siedge. But they are too far away from the system they have been supposed to be destroyed. I have no idea what they have been doing here. This Queen was the Primary of one of the Alliances that have been attacking the sector around Lantea…And from the status of the bodies I am sure they have not been wiped out from another Wraith faction. They haven't been fed upon… ", the last was said with reluctance.

"Hm…" grunted Miranda, still digesting the sticky chocolate, "You are right. There is no residual radiation that usually leaves after Wraith and Ancient weapons. Or from Replicators. After ten thousand years it is impossible to be left no traces…"

She finished the bar and wiped out her hands with a wet issue. Her hands were finally stopped trembling with the influx of sustenance. She took a deep breath and faced Alarick and the other Wraith.

"We are at least one thousand light years from the nearest Stargate. This Jumper doesn't have a warp drive and if we try to reach it with conventional speed it will take 30 000 years. We don't have nor the energy for such a trip nor the oxygen. Actually the oxygen will be depleted after 10 hours. I can run the recycling but the energy levels are low because of the shielding. Water has already finished and the food too. I can't survive without them either", Miranda was speaking looking at their blank faces. "So we are cut off the rest of the Galaxy until a rescue party comes. And honestly I am not sure it will come soon. This system will be the last one they will search for us. Not to mention that there is a high probability that we are considered dead. I don't know what the protocol with the Wraith…is?" she looked with a mute question at her Wraith.

Alarick shrugged his shoulders,

"The same as yours. Although I won't expect a searching party. In the moment they have lost our life signs when we entered under the shield they would suspect us dead. We won't show up on any other world nor in the Atlantis areas and the Queen will assume we are dead" he sat straight in the chair focusing on her,

"Miranda we must think now about your survival. And being here in that ship won't ensure it. On the planet down there we can find food and water to sustain you. If you are healthy we will be too. This is the only option till Atlantis sends a rescue…"

She frowned and knew that the other Wraith mentally agreed with him. The unspoken '_If they come at all'_ hang in the air.

"Very well then", she touched the controls and the engines lit up, "We are going to stay on this planet …for a while"

* * *

The Jumper touched the ground of a clearing in the wood. This place was chosen because the sensors showed the ground is hard and there is a river and a lake nearby. Besides the sensors has also indicated that the wood is full with animal life signs.

Human village was three hundred kilometers north on the other side of a huge forest. They have decided to stay away from the humans at least they are settled.

The climate on this part of the planet was mild and the air was very fresh and saturated with the scent of the pine trees around them. Bird's songs and buzzing of the insects filled the air.

She took a look – trees, river and more trees.

Alarick was close to her, sniffing the air and ready to face any danger. His warriors disperse studying the place.

'_So this will be our home, huh?!'_ she wasn't particularly fond of forests, _'Even as a kid I thought the Adventures of Robinson Crusoe were something that happens only in the books. And now I will have to experience it in a first hand…' _

'_Who is this Crusoe?'_ Alarick asked in her mind and she felt his hands fondling the bare skin on her lower back where the Replicator's beam has vaporized the cloth. Another hand with glistening finger armors plunged on her naked belly where the beamed had crossed her body. Wave of pleasure and arousal stroke her from head to toes.

'_A shipwrecked sailor who has been stranded on a island for twenty years and then saved'_, his body came into close contact with her back and she lost her thought as his hands now roamed freely on her belly and under the bullet-proofed vest. Miranda leaned on him feeling the metal insignias on his chest.

'_Alone?'_ he whispered in her ear and the hot breath made her shivers, closing her eyes in delight.

'_Huh?'_ she opened her eyes, completely forgotten what was the conversation about.

'_Has he been alone on that island_?' licks on the outer rim of her right ear almost sky-rocketed her.

"For the most part of his stay yes", she finally managed to remember what the story in the book was.

His hands turned her around and she faced his handsome face. He slowly started kissing her lower lip nibbling on it,

'_Then you are luckier that that human. You are stranded here with Me.'_, his thong touched her upper lip and then engaged with her own in a full deeper kiss.

She felt her vest falling on the ground and hands lowering down the zip of her jacket, removing it and the chill air sent goose bumps on the naked skin of her arms and collar bone.

Her own hands by their independent will have already untied his chest armor and now were exploring the intricate zipping of his leather coat.

"We can spend this time here fulfilling our wildest dreams…" whispered Alarick tracing the line of her neck with slight kisses. She was aware that one of his hands was making maneuvers around her belt while the other was playing with her nipple.

Looking at his shining eyes she smiled faintly, "Oh, and what are yours?"

"Since the first time I saw you I wanted to capture you and take you to my quarters", the belt followed her jacket on the ground and then his armor.

"Like the Old Stories I told you about", he undressed his coat and laid it on the grass, "One of the stories is my favorite. It is about a Wraith Commander and his Spoils of War – a captured a Lantean woman during the Battle for the City of Faenea. She has been beautiful …" her T-shirt fled to the grass and the hot air of his mouth closed around the hard nipples making her whimper, "With long blond hair, the most beautiful Lantean woman he has ever seen. She has tried to run but he has been faster, chasing her and capturing her…"

His own top was tossed at the bush revealing the naked torso. For a moment Miranda just stood there enjoying the view.

"Oh, my…you are beautiful!" she felt how the blush warmed her cheeks. She knew he was taking a look at her naked chest and liking what he saw.

He was strong muscular built but lean, with exotic tattoos over his shoulders and belly. The skin was pale under the sun light and the long white hair fall in thick clusters on his shoulders.

'_Absolute eye candy. With predatory smile'_

'_Now is not the moment to play shy!'_ she decided and stepped closer, touching the tattoo on his flat belly.

"You are my wet dream…", the unbuckled belt was thrown at the place where her clothes were, "Absolutely hot , seductive dream…", she enjoyed the feel of his skin placing slight kisses on his breasts and belly when her groping fingers touched something hard on his back, "What?!"

Her touch provoked a loud cry of pleasure. His hands grasped her head and she felt the shivers shaking his body.

Curious Miranda looked at his back and gasped. On the line of his spine hard ridges in a shade of silver were running down his torso disappearing in the pants. She carefully touched the ridge and his pleasure hit in her brain.

'_Whoa…'_ she blinked feeling stunt by the enormous rapture that coursed through his body and her mind.

'_Did we just share the first orgasm?'_ she smiled widely taking a bold kiss on the ridge near the waistline of his pants.

This time the cry of pleasure could be heard a mile away. She felt her knees melting with the sensation and Alarick almost fall on the outstretched coat.

Hearing his shout Miranda realized that they could be heard. She knelt to the panting Wraith and carefully removed the hair from his face. He opened dazed golden eyes looking unfocused in her.

"Alarick, what about your warriors?" she asked.

"I told them to go and not come back until I call for them" smug grin spread on his lips, revealing the sharp fangs.

"Good", she grasped his shoulder turning him on his back. Looming over his body, she flipped on him without warning. Positioning herself above him, she said softly,

"Because I am in the mood to play my own dark fantasy of …" her breath brushing against his belly as she spoke, "being a bad girl!"

* * *

Note: comments, ideas, criticism, suggestions are welcome:)


	27. Chapter 27 The Future

Turning point Chapter 27 The Future

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis

I want to thank to Morgomir, SGA-Seven, Shanthaia and fallenfeangel for the encouragement. Your reviews really helped me to write faster:)

* * *

The night has fallen.

Miranda hadn't noticed it too busy enjoying Alarick's body. She snuggled close to him, finding the embrace of his cool body overwhelming. He was sleeping, exhausted by the long hours of pleasure.

Sometime in the day one of his buddies has brought them wood and a well baked piece of meat. Alarick has started fire and Miranda has devoured the meat, hungry from the experiences.

They have spent the whole day enjoying each other, laughing and making love. Even taking a bath in the near river was another erotic game. Miranda has pretended to be a helpless girl while he was chasing her around playing his fantasy of capturing his spoil of war.

Dreamily she tasted the hot memory of her and Alarick under the cold waterfall, then on the sandy shore, then again in the river, against the trunk of the giant tree next to the clearing around the river bed, on the wet grass…The loud cries of pleasure have frightened the birds and even one turtle-like creature almost drown in the river when she has jumped Alarick on the shore. Smirking like a cat that has just eaten the cream, she stretched her body and idly pulled the sprays of grass from his long white hair, still wet from the recent play in the river.

He has been able to keep the exhausting pressure of her awaken appetites thanks to the many feedings, making the orgasms blowing their minds with rapture. But now even he laid spent on the grass,

'_If I had known sex with Wraith is so extraordinary awesome, I would have kidnapped him the first time me met and keep him chained and naked on my bed. No matter what the I.O.A. protocol says about not fucking prisoners…'_

She rose on an elbow just watching him sleep. His face seemed strangely peaceful and for a single moment she wondered what would have become from the Wraith as a race if the things hadn't gone so screwed up ten thousand years ago. Could have they emerged into something different? Not that war-driven, seeking blindly dominance and sustenance specie but a race equal to the Gatebuilders?

'_Am I falling in love?_' she wondered. For a second all the terrible consequences that would follow such an emotional attachment crossed her mind, but she no longer cared. '_We are struck her, on that planet…may be forever…And I won't spend the eternity that is to come in regret or guilt!'_

She lay on his muscle chest, hugging his naked body. Her skin was singing in joy at the touch with his smooth white-greenish coolness. Throwing her leg over his tight Miranda closed her eyes in pure bliss.

Before she realized it the sleep fell upon her.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open by the sound of someone crying. A woman's weeping.

'_What is going on?!'_ she threw a look around and realized she is no longer in the forest but in a dimly lit hall, _'A Wraith ship?'_ she took a second look around, feeling perplexed.

Taking a look down she found out her body is no longer naked but dressed in a white uniform she has last seen on the videos from the crew of … _'Tria'_.

'_Why am I dressed like an Ancient?'_ she couldn't understand why her consciousness has chosen this outfit for her dream.

She was standing in a big hall with numerous Wraith computer consoles, watching as some …_creatures_… were working on them, collecting data and busy going around the hall, _'Who are these people?'_, one of the creatures passed closed by her and she could see his face. Wraith slits on his face combined with human features and grayish skin, _'What are these …'_ she looked at the empty eyes, realizing that this creature was completely wash-minded, _'things?!'_

"Indeed things they are, Doctor Langner!" said a male voice in her left ear. Miranda quickly turned around, gaping at the sight of the man.

"Davos?!" a whisper came from her. He was smiling at her, looking healthy and much younger that she remembered him. Instead of being in the shape of an old man with white hair, he was now in a body in its thirties, with short cut blond hair and shining blue eyes. Like her he was dressed in the creamy white Ancient outfit.

"_I am glad to meet you again, Doctor. And yes, I am the man you met not so long ago." he responded to_ her unspoken question.

Miranda glanced at the creatures around them but none of them seemed to notice the two intruders in the hall.

"Don't worry. They can't see us. Because we are not really here…at least in a material way of seeing things", his smile broadened as he stepped forward and gestured at the door of the hall, "Shall we?"

She followed him silently wondering why she was dreaming this. As they exited in another dark chamber, Davos' smile faded and he looked serious at her,

"Miranda, may I call you that? Because we don't have much time for pleasantries?"

She just nodded, this whole thing was getting more and more like a hallucination.

He gave her a faint smile, "The last time we met I showed you what is to become in future for your Wraith. But since then many things changed and with them his destiny", he spoke as they walked. Finally a new hatch in the wall opened and one of the creatures emerged, carrying a tray with syringes. It headed straight to the big Hall from where they have come with blank expression on his face. Miranda couldn't stop herself anymore; she reached out and tried to read his mind. For her enormous surprise his mind was completely blank except his current order to take the samples to the lab. No memories, no feelings, no emotions. Then another thing shocked her, _'His mind has been human …once!' _Traces of Wraith brain patterns were scattered across that mind in so chaotic way that has blinded her for his nature of origin.

She looked at Davos, "He has been human!" even in her eyes her voice sounded deaf.

"It's true", confirmed Davos, "He and almost all of the creatures on this ship have been humans till recently."

They entered in the opened door and seeing the inside of the chamber Miranda felt her blood run ice cold.

"Teyla!" she shouted and run at the woman tied on the metal examination table. She was naked with big belly and was crying in despair. '_It's her crying that has waked me up!'_

Teyla didn't notice her, as well the creature that was standing beside her.

'_I have seen him before..!' _realization struck her.

"This is the Wraith you called Michael. Except …" Davos approached him and Miranda stepped after him, taking a close notice of the creature in red garments, "it's what used to be a Wraith."

Finally her brain started to work and processed the data, "He has continued with his experiments!"She said out loud, registering the changes and mutations of Michael's body. "And somehow has captured Teyla!" the crying of her friend was tearing her heart.

She was about to say another thing when her attention was caught by something her senses became aware. The baby in Teyla's womb was not human. Waves of coldness both icy and fire hot were emanating from her body.

"She is wearing _his_ child!" even before the words leave her mouth, Miranda knew the truth, looking at the mind of Teyla, "When she has been captured on Taranan planet she has let Michal …touch her and later she has found out she is pregnant with his child!"

"She is", confirmed Davos, watching the woman weep.

"That bastard has raped her!" exclaimed angry Miranda, clenching her fists.

"Hm…" she was ready to blame Davos for his lack of sympathy for Teyla's situation when the change in Michael's body forced her to focus on him.

Michael gazed impassively at the Teyla, while pushing the keys of the computer screen,

"I've had to modify this technology for the use of humans", he went to an attached console beside the table and took a pad linked with an organic wire to the computer, "It's crude but it works remarkably well"

He smiled and for a moment Miranda could see a spark of the human Michal she has seen on the records, then his eyes became again determined. He turned to the console and activated the pad.

"Michael, whatever has happened between us in the past, I beg you do _not_ harm my child!", Teyla's words of begging were cried out with so much fear that Miranda felt tears in her eyes start to emerged. She quickly blinked them away.

Michael frowned at Teyla like her words were an insult to him,

"I wouldn't dream of it. Now relax…" he held the pad on her belly and turned it on. A slight buzzing filled the air, "This won't hurt a bit. Listen!"

The sounds of the baby's heartbeat came out. Teyla seemed mesmerized by them. A smile filled with satisfaction spread on Michael's face.

"Your child is healthy! Look", a three dimensional image of the baby appeared on the screen and Teyla looked it for a moment and then gazed pleadingly at her tormentor.

"Why are you doing this?" he didn't answer but instead turned off the pad and started to fill a syringe with yellow liquid.

"Kaanan said that our child will serve the cause. What did he meant by that?"insisted Teyla.

Tapping the air from the syringe, he approached the table with the most wicked glint in his eyes, Miranda has ever seen. Even the rage in Wraith King's eyes looked like a child's playing in comparison with the madness that flew from his eyes.

"It means that I will use the genes of my son to build an army of unstoppable warriors. Without the disadvantages of the Wraith's feeding and without the weakness of the humans", malicious smirking he started to inject the needle in her belly, despite the desperate groans of the woman that was carrying his child.

While watching Michael injecting Teyla with unknown substance, Miranda could see the thoughts and memories in the minds of the ex Wraith and the Athosian woman.

Hot mouths pressing at each other, sweat bodies touching with pleasure. Red flashes of passion streamed in their memories. Passion and betrayal, feelings of sadness and vengeance…

"He hasn't raped her!" Miranda uttered, feeling numb, "She has allowed him to …love her!"

Davos was watching her with a grief expression,

"Yes, they are much more alike and for a half-breed like Teyla a Wraith male as Michael must have been irresistible. But …"

The view of the dark chamber and pregnant Teyla disappeared and Miranda and Davos found themselves in another Wraith ship.

"I showed you what is happening at this moment. Now you will witness what is to become in future…" he said.

She knew what that was – a new and modified Wraith Hive with his crew entirely from Hybrids.

'_Michael has fulfilled his promise. His son's genes has created an obedient and smart thinking army'_, thought Miranda with sinking feeling in her chest.

"After having the baby Michael was able to create his unstoppable army", the sound of his voice was blank, like he was pointing an interesting but insignificant fact in a history of a backward planet. "He perfected the research and a new Hybrid was borne. Every human world was exposed to the Hoffan virus poisoning the food supplies of the Wraith. This caused the civil war among the Wraith to get worse and four months after your disappearance they were completely at each other throats", they looked at the two Wraith Hives exchanging fire on the view screen of the ship.

"Status?" asked Michael. He was standing in the Bridge looking at the fighting Hives.

"Both Hives are heavily damaged. They've lost hyperdrive and are venting atmosphere", reported the hybrid technician on his left.

Miranda couldn't see Michael's face but she could feel his contentedness,

"Well then, let's finish it!"

The ship opened fire and the two Hive burst in explosions.

Miranda felt like something has been pulled out of her and in its place was a huge emptiness. She turned at the Seer,

"How is that possible? What was Atlantis doing? Why Michael hasn't been stopped like we did with the Replicators? They were stronger than he is, even with the Hybrids?"

"After you and your Wraith didn't show up after the destruction of Asuras, I.O.A. blamed the Wraith for your death and eventual kidnapping. This caused the breaking of the Alliance and shortly after the break Michael launched his attack against the Wraith…"

The surroundings changed again and Miranda looked at the death of thousands of worlds, each one repeating the same fate as the others. Millions dying in the first hours after the Hoffan virus has been released, leaving less 30 per cent of the population alive and deadly poisonous to the Wraith.

Wraith agonizing after being fed upon infected humans. Whole Hives being wiped out with a single culling.

"The Hive you have been so fond of was captured a week later by the Wraith King…" continued the story Davos, still talking like this was just an academic lecture.

She saw how the First in Command betrayed the defense' codes to Dick and how _her_ Hive was captured and brought in submission. The Queen was tied to a breeding chair and forced to produce thousands of Wraith.

"And the most funny thing is that this whole scale breeding of new Wraith wouldn't be possible without the ZPM's Todd has stolen from Asuras", Davos sneered.

She saw how Sheppard and his team went to find out what is that signal the Wraith has left. The naming of Todd, their meeting in the prison…_'Todd…that is so in Sheppard's style…'_ Despite the news Miranda felt amused.

Her amusement faded when she saw Sheppard firing at the Queen and Teyla controlling the mind of the hungry and weakened from the births Wraith.

"What?! No!" she couldn't believe it. Grasping his hand she nearly shouted, "Did he kill her?!"

"A Wraith female couldn't be kill so easily, Miranda", Davos gently brushed the tears that she hadn't realized were streaming down her face.

She was panting aware that Davos watched her closely. Blinking the tears, she took a deep breath and forced herself to think,

"I don't believe in what your version of the future is. Sheppard will never abandon his Wraith to such a fate!" she mentally congratulated herself for being creative even in her dreams.

Davos threw his head back and chuckled, like he has just read her thoughts, "Oh, you still don't believe me? Well then, you are right. Sheppard did his best for Todd. He gave him all the data about the Hoffan drug providing him with an opportunity to detect the infected humans and with a means to survive. May be if he hadn't disappeared he would be able to convince the I.O.A. to take side with the Wraith before it's too late…"

"How did this happen?" Miranda was starting to realize this was not a dream.

"The same thing that happened to you. The explosion of Asuras was not just a blown away planet; the hundreds of ZPM that were overloaded caused the destruction of the Sun in the Asuran solar system. You witnessed yourself how the Stargate was burned up by the residual effects. What is most important the Sun's burst caused a series of random fluctuations in the wormhole' texture of the Stargates active in that moment, making them unstable. It affected other nearby suns causing a chain of solar flares. They intersected with the affected Gates. Exactly through such a Gate Sheppard was sent forty eight thousand years in the future…"Davos looked quizzically at her stunned expression, "So in a way you were the lucky one. You have been transported only a month ahead on a habitable planet, while Sheppard found himself in the deserted Atlantis with a dying sun. Actually he was the last Lantean still alive in that moment after Michael finished his little revenge with Earth and your Galaxy.

In a blink they were on the planet, watching Alarick and Miranda snuggled together on the grass. Alarick hand was on her back.

Miranda was aware of the other Wraith in the forest, exchanging remarks about the noises of pleasure they have been listening the whole day. She tried not to blush hearing some of the things they said about the insatiable Lantean females.

"Ironic, isn't it? The Wraith on this planet will be the last of their kind very soon…" Davos looked her in the eye.

Staring at Alarick and feeling her cheeks turning hot pink, Miranda frowned,

"Wait a minute, if what you showed me is the future then how am I suppose to change it? We are struck here on that planet with no way out. Why are you showing these visions to me of all people? Why don't you show them to someone who can do something, warn Atlantis for an example? Like your daughter?" she gazed at him suspiciously.

Davos gave her a stern smile, "The world that my daughter used to live was one of the first infected with the Hoffan virus. She died soon after the poison was put in the local well."

"Oh…"Miranda felt dumb, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that…"

"She is one of us now. Don't worry for causing me grief" assured her Davos, "As for your first question - you are the only one with opened mind in this Galaxy who can hear me. Others like Sheppard are still latent and their minds are slumbering into the convenient existence of living with only five senses. But we can't just leave this dimension of existence without some attempt to stop what will happen to this Galaxy and to many others"

She raised her brows, suddenly recalling his words, "Michael won't stop with wiping out the Wraith, will he? He will attack the Milky Way and the Earth will be next…"

"Earth and every other known world or race. With every new conquest he will adapt his army and soon he will be unstoppable! When conquering every last world he will seek domination in another aspect..." His eyes looked at some point ahead.

"I see..." for the first time Miranda saw the true reason behind his actions,"You or may be it's more precise to say All of the Ancients that have Ascended are frightened that Michael will the second Anubis. And this time there will be no corporeal being with two brain cells together that could stop him! You don't give a damn fuck about the Wraith or the humans or any other race Michael will wipe out, you only care about yourselves!", the last words were shouted out. _'Why am I surprised?!'_

For the first time Davos showed some agitation in his voice. "No matter what you think about us you share the same genes like us. It's up to you if you will repeat our mistakes or learn and chose a better way! This is not the future that has meant to be, Miranda. I know it can be changed. Michael was a victim of Beckett's Experiment but now he has become the same thing he hated so much. He is destroying everyone around him. Even Teyla won't be spared…"

"How can he do it? She loved him…" Miranda didn't understand how this monster has been borne. All good intentions of Beckett has created only more blood to be shed.

"Most of the Wraith did not feel the same emotional attachment, as we do or as humans do. They can't feel it because they see it as weakness. And Teyla could not accept his deeds and live with them. You and …" he nodded at the sleeping Wraith, "Alarick have something unique. Very few Wraith have experienced and accepted the same emotions like him. Don't let this goes to waste, Miranda…"

He began to fade and she panicky tried to figure out a way to keep him longer,

"Wait! What I have to do? This planet has no Stargate. I can't change the future that is to come!"

Davos smiled at her, pulling away the golden lock of hair from her face, "You are smart. Much like Janus intelligent and unsure in your talents. Ask yourself the question and you will find the answer!"

* * *

Gasping, Miranda awoke with pondering heart. She sat up and tried to calm down,

'_This is just a nightmare, it could not be true!' _self-persuasion didn't work to soothe her mind.

"Miranda, what it is it?" alarmed by her anxiety Alarick was awaken. His naked chest touched her back and Miranda felt how the terrible horror slightly disappeared.

Turning around, she took his feeding hand. His eyes were brightly lit like two golden pools of bliss, looking concern at her.

'_Open your mind and I will show you'_, she whispered.

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, ideas and criticism are welcome:)


	28. Chapter 28 The Kindred

Turning Point Chapter 28 The Kindred

Discaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis

Warning: contains spoilers for season 4

I want to thank to Morgomir, fallenfaeangel, SGA-Seven, Shanthaia, Melior, jennyd for the reviews and to all the others that sent me PM's with their thoughts about my fiction.

Thank you for being so wonderful readers

Excuse my English grammar

* * *

He looked at her, absolutely stunned,

"How are you…we going to change the future?" asked Alarick, still feeling the aftershocks of the vision of his Queen being shot. He tried to back up but the thought that the Hive he has been on for so long might have been destroyed sent chills up his spine. He glanced at Miranda to see her equally troubled expression. The eyes, he so loved to see shining were now clouded with dark thoughts. She got up and starts pacing back and forth, oblivious to the fact she was naked.

Despite the grim situation Alarick was amused, _'I love to see her thinking big thoughts!'_

She was so self-absorbed in trying to find solution that his naughty remark went without her usual smart response.

'_Strange how calm I feel with her. Even on the Replicator's world we all expect her to lead. She is so confident and with a presence that rivals that of most Queens I have met'_, he mused upon the frantic situations they have been in not so long ago when it hit his mind, _'Her mind pattern is radiating power just like the Queen. And every male Wraith fears to be without a Queen, that's why we all followed her so easily…We just long to be ruled…'_

Suddenly she stopped her pacing and fixed her blue eyes upon him. Alarick stirred in place under that stare and tried to say something clever when she whispered,

"Alarick, I can't get up with anything that could be useful!" she bit her lower lip and sat on the ground.

Sighing, Alarick moved closer to her and gently embraced her naked beauty,

"I am sure we will come up with something", he ensured her.

'_Oh, my love'_, he thought, caressing the velvet skin on her back, _'that's where you are different from a Queen. A Wraith female will never say such a thing out loud no matter how desperate is the situation. She will act like she knows exactly what have to be done…and all Wraith will follow her.'_

Ten minutes later he and Miranda had dressed and headed to the group of his soldiers.

The Wraith didn't expect to see them so early and Alarick had to suppress a smirk behind a vicious scorn on his face when he found them around a fire with the long coats hanging from the branches of the nearest tree and various parts of their garments spread to dry. His Lieutenant was in the middle of the lake making elaborate swimming while the other two subordinates were just lying naked on the sand shore under the midnight sun.

He noticed that Miranda took a very closer look at their bodies while watching the hurried pace of the dressing Wraith.

'_I will have to keep her out of sight with any naked males'_, he thought feeling the first symptoms of the Green Eyed Monster as Miranda has described the feeling of jealousy written by an ancient Earth writer.

She looked at him playfully, _'I have a fine specimen of naked male, don't be jealous!'_

He kept for himself the memory of the Wraith Queens and their habit to have multiple sexual partners and tried to focus in the task at hand.

After his soldiers were properly dressed in the wet leather he briefed them about the information Miranda has received and the fact that now they have to find quickly a way out of that planet.

In the moment they heard that all three pairs of eyes of his subordinates looked at her expecting the instruction how exactly they will have to leave the planet.

'_I can't say their instincts are not working'_ Alarick wasn't sure if he has to laugh or to find that straight-point thinking frightening.

He sensed she was about to say that she don't know what have to be done and almost screamed in her head,

'_Don't! Please, don't say that!' _

She didn't change her expression but he felt her question _'Why not? I was going to make a discussion and everyone to offer their ideas…'_

'_I know I have been rude to interrupt you, but believe me this is not a way to do it…especially with the Wraith', _he sent her a request to wait so they have to talk and ordered to the Lieutenant,

"She has a plan. Go and clear the path to the Lantean vessel and stay there till we come!"

The Lieutenant just nodded and went in the direction of the Jumper followed by the other two Wraith. Alarick sensed that the Wraith had many questions and even a hint to challenge his order but he didn't dare.

'_I should have expected that to come. With a strong female around that so much resembles a Queen and that hasn't claim a mate and has only one sexual partner every instinct in the male Wraith must be surging to compete and be noticed by Her. And in combination with her sent the temptation is taking over…__even the most stoic Wraith Commander. And the Lieutenant is not an example of masculine stoicism'_

She waited till they were gone and said,

"Alright, what's going on?!"

He sighed and tried to explain, "Look, if you want to lead a group of Wraith, you have to never show uncertainty or doubt. If you do that their loyalty will be fragile and they will be an easy target of another Queen that seeks to new grounds!"

She stared at him with widened eyes, "Umm, don't you forget something?" she stepped closer to him, smiling, "I am not a Wraith Queen nor I seek to rule"

He sighed again,

"Wraith fear to be without a Queen…"

He saw her raising eyebrows, a human sign he knew means curious disbelief,

"Yes, we are …" he tried to formulate the next words, "afraid to be without a Hive. The most terrible punishment besides is to be an outcast. The Hive means stability, brotherhood…it is everything to a Wraith. And the center of every Hive is the Queen. She is the One that create Life and gives Death. She is the One that chooses the path of the Hive. She is born to command and the male Wraith to obey Her."

Her expression changed from curious to thoughtful,

"Hmm, well I suppose that had to be expected. Every insect species we have encountered has built its society around strict hierarchy and a leading female that procreates." She looked at him and Alarick could see the flashes of her thoughts,

"That's why when we were on Asura you all expect me to find a solution to the problem and to determine the course of action. I wondered why…"

He gave her a wide smile, "So you understand …"

Miranda waved with her hand, "I understand that for your Wraith I am some kind of a substitute for a Queen and my ability to give sustenance multiplies my attraction but if this is so why they don't act that way with every other female? Or what about Teyla – she is a part Wraith?!"

She frowned when he remembered the woman Teyla, "Yes, she emanates signals that could be appealing but they are …not right. They feel fake, like music that sounds but you can't hear it. I don't know why. And you…You felt like one of us, like one of the Kindred. You have such a strong mind that rivals the Queen's" he opened his mind to her, "See for yourself how I feel to you and the memory of the encounter with a human female"

She carefully entered his mind and tasted the memories.

_To him she was what the magnet to the iron is. The __irresistible flame that attracts the moth… The water for the thirsty… The bread for the starved…_

And the memory of his encounters with other females…

_Bored to deal with prey…Hunger that can be satisfied but not completely…Just bodies for his basic needs…_

She harshly pulled out of his brain, leaving him to gape startled at her, 

"You have had sex with humans!"

Alarcik tried to find words but she grasped his long flocks, forcing him to look her in the eye,

"Answer me!" she commanded. 

He felt her grab over his mind knowing she will crush him if he tries to lie to her,

'_Calm down, Miranda, it's just…'_

'_Don't tell me what to do!' _she was furious, her usually cream white cheeks were now reddened, her lips in a thin line. Alarick quickly explained, not risking angering her further,

'_Every male Wraith except the drones has needs very similar to the needs of human males. And the libido of the male Wraith is much stronger than that of the humans. We managed to vent out some of the pressure through the feeding process but the need is still there. So many of us and only one Queen and those that are not her sexual partners find a worshipper to satisfy their need.'_

"And where is that worshipper of yours now?" she said aloud and clenched her fist tighter. Alarick was well aware that his hair was going to be pulled out.

"I haven't got a personal worshipper, just using the common stock for the release. I don't know where they are. If the Hive has been captured then the worshippers have been the first to be fed upon by Dick's soldiers!"

He saw her anger calm down and her fist released his hair. She looked him with sparkling eyes and quietly whispered,

"I won't tolerate any other woman in our relationship. No humans, no Queens, no one! You are mine and if I understand you have cheated on me I will kill her and then I will kill you painfully and slowly!"

He felt his heart jump with joy, _'She loves me so much that she is ready to kill any female that crosses her territory. Like a true Wraith!'_

"I don't need another woman, Miranda. They were just an answer to my instinct, nothing more. I have you. You are everything I desire, you know that…"

The red has stepped away to give a way to the pink on her face and she smiled to him, '_Oh, yes, I saw…' _she plunged a hand over his hair and then touched his tattoo, _'and felt…'_

The kiss was sweet and her hands fondling his back ridges sent flashes through his mind.

She broke the kiss and sighed in his ear, nibbling and licking it, _'Forgive me, I just acted so impulsive, just …'_, her warm breath sighed in his ear, while her hand was toying with a particular sensitive ridge on his spine, _'…this triggered some memories from my past when another man, a human, cheated on me and ruined our relationship with his infidelity…'_

The rapture of her touch was overwhelming and Alarick had problem with following her words,

'_Umm…And that man…'_ another squeeze on the ridge and he saw big blue lights, _'…is_ _he…',_ he suppressed a groan, _'…still alive…'_, this time he felt her other hand on his front side undoing his zip, _'because if he is I can …'_, the grass under his back felt wonderful especially when Miranda was on top of him with a lusty smirk on her face,

'_Don't think about him. He is a history. Now there are only us!'_

_An Hour L__ater _

She and Alarick went after the cuddling to the Jumper and Miranda acted confidently ignoring the leering stares of the other Wraith.

Miranda cleared her mind and focused on the task of finding how to get off that planet. She deactivated the Jumper's cloak and entered in, sitting on the pilot seat. Carefully she checked again in her mind what Davos had said but nothing came to her that could be useful.

She sensed when Alarick sat on the seat of the second pilot and quietly looked around at the Lantean technology. Suddenly an idea hit her and she had to fight not to voice it aloud. After all she had to manage the illusion to the other Wraith that she knew what she was doing.

'_Alarick'_, she call him out and he turned his face to her, _'is it usual for an attacking Fleet like the one we saw destroyed in the orbit of that world, to travel with supply ships or they fly behind?'_, she asked.

He seemed to think for a while, _'It is usually behind the Fleet but during the Siege of Lantea many supply ships had to travel through the defense lines of the City and to fight.'_

'_Hm, the Atlantis team __encountered such a ship three years ago', _he lifted his eye ridges in question and she explained, _'only one Wraith Commander has survive, feeding on the humans in the cocoons and on his crew. He fed on the team and tried to cut off Sheppard's hands to fly the Jumper but Sheppard has come with a smart plan and killed him'_

Alarick just shake his head, _'It is not unusual for the strongest Wraith to feed upon his crew in desperate situations but that is not something we welcome' _

'_Anyway, I was thinking about the city and the humans the scan discovered. If this world has no Stargate on the surface of the planet then how the humans have come here? There is two possibilities – first they have been seeded from the Ancients but if this is so they why there is only one settlement? And second – they have survived from a supply ship…'_

He was surprised he hasn't seen it_. 'But the scan didn't show any signs of advanced technology of other life signatures?'_

'_Well, the supply ship we have encountered three years ago was almost destroyed, whouth energy source to keep the organic structure and the Wraith there didn't show on scans because he was in hibernation…'_, she took a deep breath,

'_What if the ship was so damaged that was beyond repair or his energy source has been targeted by the enemy weapons? What if the humans in cocoons have survived the crash and the crew instead of short thinking was instead released them on the planet so they can breed and be a constant supply for centuries? And if my theory is right then the crew must have spent cycles in hibernation of hide in caves that shield their life signatures from the enemy that has attacked them ten thousand years ago. Just think what will you do if you are stranded on a planet that is mapped inhabitable in the Wraith maps with no __hope for escape, with your Queen and Hive destroyed? And with an enemy that has defeated you and that could be still around?' _

He could see her point, _'If this is true that we must go there and find out. But even if there is survived Wraith how this will help us leaving the planet? If they have been here for the last ten thousand years then they are stuck her as we are?'_

She frowned, _'Honestly, I don't know but there is no other way to search for the key in that mystery. I was thinking…'_ she gave him a smirk,

'_that Davos __wouldn't just contact me because I am the only one who can hear him if there isn't something around me or near me that could be used in his plan to stop Michael. What if there is something useful on this world that we can utilize? What if the supply ship is with well preserved hyper drive like the one near Atlantis and can be powered with the Jumper energy crystals to start regeneration or there is a hidden Ancient laboratory with still active ZPM that is shielding the lab from the scan and preventing the Wraith to use it? Or some sort of hidden outpost like the one on the world where we first met? Or deactivated Stargate without control crystals that I could utilize to the Jumper's drive …' _she just shrugged her shoulders indicating there could be numerous possibilities to find something interesting.

'_Then let's go and find out what is there'_, said Alarick and was rewarded with a wide smile.

Note: reviews, ideas, critics and comments are welcome


	29. Chapter 29 The Last Man

Turning Point Chapter 29 The Last Man

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis

Warning: contains spoilers for season 4

I want to thank for the reviews to Melior, Morgomir, brainfear, SGA-Seven, samurai89. You are the best readers every author could hope for

Excuse my English:)

Carefully she landed the cloaked Jumper on the cliff and gave a mental command to stand by. Alarick was staring through the view screen at the city down there. She had parked the ship on the cliffs towering over the river that passed through the city.

As was planned they emerged from the Jumper and she said,

"Alright, as I explained to you the plan is to search around for any signs of Wraith or advanced technologies. I am going to the city to see if there could be anything useful. Your Commander…" she looked at Alarick,

"… and two of you by his choosing will go around searching. They will wear the Lantean personal shields and I will carry with me the other one. So one of you will stay here without that device and guard the Jumper. Is that understood?"

She looked at the Wraith and they all nodded in agreement. She activated the shields of Alarick and the other two Wraith making them invisible and then put the last one on her jacket and switched it on. She has programmed their shields to turn off at the manual pressure – so every Wraith could switch if off when he has done his work.

Immediately the world turned slightly blurred which meant that she is invisible to the others and without loosing any more precious minutes she turned in the direction of the City and start walking fast.

Climbing down from the cliffs she discovered the road that was heading to the city. The road was unpaved and with tracks of wheels indicating civilization at very primitive level of development. She walked about thirty minutes before the first buildings of the city to appear. She stopped for a second taking a deep breath and analyzing what she was seeing.

'_No City Gates or defense walls which means there is no one that question their territory nor they are afraid of peasant revolts…'_, she remembered that the scan had shown only small farms in the nearest proximity of the City. She had a feeling that something was not right but what exactly she couldn't put a finger on and points it.

She went on the street that was an extension of the road. Chickens, some animals like pigs running around, dirt, shallow canals that ran along the street full with garbage, men and women dressed in Medieval like clothes that rivaled the filth on the street, children roaming around. Nothing to indicate something more advanced than a hand made iron hammer.

Miranda tried to ensure herself that this is not just as pointless as it looked and continued to explore the city. After several more streets, one market where farmers sold slaughtered pigs and few shops with blacksmiths she reached a clearing that was tidier than the rest of the city with wooden pavement and a well with attached hand pump. _'The City Central Square?!'_ she wondered when she noticed that on one of the ends of the square in front of a big house a crowd was gathering.

Tall man has climbed on a carriage and was giving a speech to the crowd. She realized that more and more people were coming to listen to him. _'This might be interesting…What is so important that is causing a speech?'_

She approached the man, careful not to touch anyone in the crown around him. He was middle aged, with clothes made from fine material and with iron chain-like necklace on his front. _'Is this the leader of the City?!'_ she made a guess and listened to his words.

"People, I know the times are hard and we have to make sacrifices to the Demons, but this is the will of the Gods! They are testing our belief in them, the strength of our faith. That's why they are sending us the Demons to test our courage in bad times!"

He was looking nervously at the crowd and from the grim looks of the people around him, Miranda knew they are at the verge of stoning him and his words are not reassuring. As an answer to her thoughts a woman cried out,

"They are testing us from months! What if the Demons have really defeated them as they said? Then we can't expect any help from the Gods!"

The people's murmuring sounded even angrier and an egg was thrown to the man. He managed to avoid the egg and it splashed on the wall of the building behind him.

Another woman with a baby in her hands and tears on her face shouted to man,

"Where are the Gods now when we need them? Before there was no illness, no bad times, the streets were clean and the garbage was produced into light and warm! Now everything is filthy, dark and cold! Why do we have to continue giving people to the Demons after they don't care about us? My baby is dieing! And the Demon just looked at me and said that her fate is not his concern! They are taking from us our closest. Soon there will be no one left to plough the fields and we will starve!"

She burst into tears and another woman hugged her, trying to calm her.

At that moment Miranda finally realized what was wrong,

'_There are more women here than men! And the fields around the city were bare, no peasants to work there! So they are giving their men to …what?'_

The man was looking at the woman with helpless expression, "I am sorry Ronda but the Cure of The Gods gave out last week!"

'_So this is their priest'_, concluded Miranda, _'I wonder how their Gods look like…I bet they are all tall, greenish skin, white haired aliens…But what is that Cure he speaks of?'_

The woman with the sick baby…Ronda screamed, "And where is your daughter? Is her faith in the Gods so weak that she vanished at the first sight of the Demons?"

"I don't know where Lira is! I haven't seen her!" the priest responded and continued to speak but Miranda was no longer listening, too deep in thought,

'_Regular sacrifices to the Demons. And these Demons don't look like the Wraith …ummm…Gods__ …but they are not humans too. What if…'_ she was about to form the next thought when she felt an urgent mind call, recognizing Alarick,

'_We found the Wraith! You were right!__' _picture after picture of his location came through the link and she started running out of the City, _'They have come here with the damaged supply ship and have released the humans from the cocoons. And ten months ago…'_ he sounded so excited with his discoveries that Miranda almost felt a shame to interrupt him,

'_Michael found this world?__'_ she asked.

There was a silence in the link and then Alarick chuckled, _'I should've known you will figure that with that brilliant mind of yours'_

'_Alarick, if I was McKay from that compliment I would probably go ballistic from my boosted ego…'_ she felt how the chuckled turned into laugh and a smile appeared on her lips.

She sent him a picture to get serious and noticed how he immediately focused, _'And how is that Wraith?'_ she asked, reaching the outskirts of the town and heading to the cliffy hill that was just opposite the river.

Alarick's mind pattern changed and he showed her what he was seeing,

_The Wraith was on the ground, with sweaty face that was gray and looked unhealthy, his eyes were wide opened __at times and the slits nearly covered the yellow irises. An intricate tattoo was glistening on his left cheek. A woman was sitting next to him with worried expression on her face. She was young, with long black hair and dressed like the people Miranda saw in the City. _

'_So that's where the priest's daughter has been…'_ she thought, noticing that the Wraith's hair was combed and his leather top and pants looked clean. He was sick but Lira has taken care for him. On his right side was a bowl with water and a sponge for cooling his fevered face and body.

'_What's wrong with him?'_ she frowned and felt how the link became stronger with every step,

'_I have never seen or heard or Wraith's sickness?!'_

The view disappeared and she felt the distress of Alarick

'_Neither do I, at least not since I am born such a thing has ever occurred to the Wraith. He __has fever and is coming in and out of consciousness so I can't understand everything but from what I gathered in his moments of clear mind and from the girl Michael has come to this world with a cruiser._

_This Wraith and his brothers believing that they have finally been found and sensing a Wraith' like mind went to welcome their brothers. Then the creatures Davos has shown you in his vision emerged from the cruiser and killed two of his brothers. He and __the other three were captured and Michael experimented on them some drug that made them sick and …'_

Alarick's anger was almost touchable,

'_his brothers died in pain from that drug, he was near death too when Michael was called a month a ago and left with his cruiser from that planet dumping the bodies of the death Wraith and this one he was sure will die soon in one rocky place in the North' _

She saw the opening of the cave from where the link was coming and breathing heavily ran into the cave. For a moment she stopped there blinking in the dark when she saw the light of the small fire in the bottom of the cave tunnel and headed that way.

In live the sick Wraith was looking even worse. Alarick and his soldiers were a meter away from the sick Wraith with something like fear in their eyes. The girl…Lira was cooling with the sponge his face. Miranda could see she was very pretty and in her attitude to the sick Wraith there was something more than devotion.

'_The drug that Michael is testing on these Wraith ten months ago…Hmmm…this is the drug Doctor Beckett has perfected. The Wraith could read minds and Beckett was captured by Michael…'_ she was thinking, looking at the sick male, _'So that is the sickness in Davos's vision'_ she was well aware that Alarick is sharing her thoughts and she felt the moment when he stiffened with her memory of the creation of the drug and the role of Beckett and Atlantis in it but he choose to remain silent.

Miranda sat on the stone near the sick Wraith and started a deep thinking voicing it out loud, so the girl and the other Wraith could hear,

"From what I know about the Hoffan drug it destabilize the enzyme that is produced in the hands's gland that enables the Wraith to feed. Sort of instant poison…but how this one has survived the poison?!"

She got up and approached the Wraith, touching him carefully. His skin was dry and hot, she tried to enter his mind but it was like to enter in a vortex.

"Could it be he has some genes useful in blocking the poison? But if that's true then Michael must have noticed them. No…it must be something else…" she looked at the girl and saw the hope in her eyes,

"Lira, tell me did you find him?"

"Yes, when the Demons first appeared in the city I ran here but there was no one. So I waited for months hoping the Gods will return and one day I saw a flying ship that flew in the sky and I followed in that direction. After a day I found the bodies of the Death Gods and the still alive God Lycanor. I dragged his body on a hide nearly a week to this cave and tried to help him. Gave him water, made a soup and cooled his body but he was still sick like the first time I found him. He doesn't eat, just drink a few gulps of water…" Lira's eyes were watering and her hand was automatically rubbing the wet sponge on Lycanor's face.

Miranda noticed the curious looks of Alarick's soldiers when the girl called the Wraith Lycanor.

"And that name of …the God from where it came?" she had to know, too curious to left the subject.

The girl looked at her like this was something everyone knew,

"In the Dawn of the Creation The Gods gave us this world to live on. They provided us with food, shelter and protected us from sickness and hunger. Every God gave from his essence the Elixir of Life so every sick man, woman or child to be healthy. Then the Gods went to sleep testing our courage and faith in them",

The woman was reciting the words almost singing them, obviously quoting a legend or a religious text,

"One of Gods remained half asleep keeping his ear open to the people and always providing us with the Elixir of Life or advice in bad situation. He helped the people to build the village, he found that the water from a well is causing sickness and gave us knowledge how the well to be cleaned and used again for our needs, he fought against the terrible beasts that were attacking our farms and killing people. He was the one that always come to help and was always benevolent. So the people called him Lycanor. In the old language that meant The Wise One. He accepted the name and since that day he is known as Lycanor, The God that is Looking at Us while the other Gods are known as The Sleeping Gods!"

Lira seemed to glow with happiness telling the old legend and Miranda raised her brows,

"And how …the Gods…fed?"

That was always the basic question in Wraith/human relationship.

"They fed upon the criminals so our homes are always safe!"

Miranda looked at Alarick and said,

"It's not something unheard, actually. We knew a world that had such a deal with another Wraith but without the healing and the helping part. With a big dose of screwing up. And if they have been feeding only few Wraith, three of them in hibernation and another one saving his energy then the food requirements haven't been so demanding."

Alarick seemed perturbed by her words thinking about how a group of Wraith has found a way to coexist with humans.

She looked at the trembling Wraith again _'What if…' _

Turning to the woman she asked, "Where is that hide on which you have brought Lycanor here?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later

Lycanor lay cuddled in the animal hide while the other three Wraith were carrying him, Miranda was leading the group and at the tail was Lira with a bag with her belongings.

When they reached the Jumper the Wraith left to guard it appeared looking curiously at Lycanor and Lira but didn't dare ask questions.

Miranda deactivated the cloak of the Jumper and heard the frightened shriek of Lira. She headed in the Jumper and opened one the hatches in the cargo bay finding the bag with first aid kit. She gasped it and brought it to the sick Wraith that was now landed on the flat cliff. She found the kit with the silicone kit for blood transfusion and few plastic antiseptic pads and looked at Alarick.

He helped her to put the needle in the vein of Lycanor's arm and when he has secured the needle in the vein Miranda brought the other needle to her finger and stuck it through the skin.

One, then many red drops began dripping in the silicone pipe and then into Lycanor's blood stream. Miranda wasn't sure if neither her idea will works nor they could ask Lycanor for his agreement for the treatment because he was delirious.

She theorized that if ones her blood has helped McKay then it could be tested on the Wraith. The idea was that her blood cells are adapting fast even outside of her body in order to combat the intruder in the host body. Jennifer Keller had run blood tests on Rodney once he was recovered and determined that the blood cells were acting like they are searching for a host once they are separate from their main source – Miranda's body.

So in order to find a host they were clearing the ground – it this case the infected with naniets McKay's organism – so they could adapt to the new host without a competition. That's how McKay was cured but without becoming a host because according to Jennifer once McKay's body was cleaned her blood cells tried to adapt but didn't succeed – the body of an ordinary human even the one with implanted Lantean DNA was lacking the necessary DNA's chains that created a friendly environment and the blood cells started disintegrating within minutes leaving the body with its urine and sweat.

Jennifer had experimented on the Wraith's samples they have in storage and was concluded that Wraith's body is not suitable for her blood cells too.

Miranda stopped the dropping blood from her finger and Alarick carefully pulled out the needle from Lycanor's hand and put the plastic antiseptic pad.

Nothing happened for the next ten seconds and Miranda just shook her head,

"Well, at least we tried…"

Lira came closer to her Wraith and put a blanket on him. Suddenly his body was shaken with convulsions so strong that the blanket fell to the ground. His eyes snapped open and a loud shriek came from his mouth. Lira was kneeling with tears streaming down her cheeks and Miranda looked at Alarick,

"Is he dieing?" she shouted out.

"I don't think so! His mind pattern just become less chaotic and …" he stopped when Lycanor's shrieks ended and the Wraith sat up looking bewildered at Lira and Miranda. Then he sensed the other Wraith and his chin dropped from the surprise.

He blinked, "Am I dead?" his voice was coarse.

Alarick was the first to find his ability to speak, "No…We tried …a new method…to undo your sickness. How do you feel?"

All the Wraith and the two women were looking at him when he blinked again and ran some mental check over his body,

"I feel well and I am hungry…" he seemed ashamed from the last statement.

'_For the first time I see a Wraith who says that like this is some crime!'_

Before anyone could respond Lira took his right hand and put it on her chest, "Feed on me, Lycanor. I will gladly offer my life if you will be healthy again!"

She was afraid but bravely continued to stick his hand to her chest. For everyone surprise Lycanor pulled out his trembling and leaking enzyme hand, clenching it in fist he kept it as far as possible from Lira.

"No..." he whispered the word like he was having difficulties to talk and then again, "No!" This time he sounded more confident and in control, "Don't offer your life, Lira. I would rather die then feed on you!"

He was looking very upset from this display of emotions in front of the other Wraith but his eyes were glowing defiantly.

Alarick's lips nearly trembled with amusement and for a second he and Miranda shared a brief sense of _knowing_ that feeling.

Miranda lowered the zip of her vest and approached Lycanor. He was staring at her in awe, his nostrils were flaring with her scent and she could see he was fighting not to jump and feed upon her. She came closer and looked him in the eyes,

"I allow you to feed" she said and could sense the approval that was radiating from the other Wraith.

Lycanor looked at her like she was crazy but Alarick interfered,

"Listen to her and do what she says, Commander"

Lycanor couldn't stop himself anymore. He grasped with his left hand her shoulder and plunged his feeding hand. The sipping sound of the Wraith's feeding filled the air and Miranda felt the known wave of vitality exploding in her.

His eyes were fixed into hers while he was taking sustenance. Obviously his energy must have been much depleted because he fed longer than any other male Wraith she has encountered and when he was finally satisfied he carefully unstuck his hand from her breasts looking at the rapidly fading feeding mark on her skin.

She got up zipping her vest and he followed, easing his body up with the natural Wraith's grace.

He looked at her with eyes full with questions, then looked at Alarick,

"Things have changed a lot for ten thousand years…"

* * *

An Hour Later

Alarick and Miranda have explained things to Lycanor and he was listening to their story in rapt fascination. They have returned to the cave where Lycanor showed them an organic box in which his garments were tidy put. He changed his outfit and put a coat with silver decoration indicating as Alarick told her his rank of Commander of Supply Ship and Lira was happy to assist with his hair.

Lycanor explained that display of vanity that he must look with dignity when he returns to the City.

Then they have all gathered in the Jumper and Miranda has flown it to the City. Lycanor was watching with curiosity the interaction between her and other Wraith but didn't say a word.

She landed the Jumper on the Central Square where she has met the crowd and the priest – she understood from Lira that her father's name is Liyn.

Before the landing she has decloaked the ship and people started gathering around. They emerged from the Jumper and were greeted by Liyn and the astounded citizens.

When the people saw Lycanor a burst of cheers erupted and Liyn knelt with streaming tears over her relieved face, "Oh, Licanor, God of our Life you came back!"

Lycanor raised his hand and the crowd fell silent looking at him with devotion,

"My people I have returned! The Demons forced us to retreat from this world but with the help of others of my kind", he shouted and gestured at Alarick and his Wraith, "Gods of other worlds and with the help of one of the Ancients" this time he pointed at Miranda and made a slight bowl, "I am back here to help you and protect you from the Demons!"

The crowd roared with delight at his words and Lycanor shouted, "Where is the woman named Ronda?"

From the back of the crowd a woman with a bundle in her arms made a quick run to Lycanor with eyes that rivaled the glowing eyes of a hungry Wraith. But her eyes were full of hope.

She extended her hands giving the bundle with the baby to Lycanor and he carefully undid the garments to reveal a tiny baby obviously born prematurely and with blue circles around his eyes and mouth. The baby didn't even cry and his chest was barely moving. He put his feeding hand over the baby's mouth and from the opening of his gland a big oily drop of enzyme leaked down to the opened mouth.

The basic instincts of swallowing were still working in the baby's mind and she gulped. In front of their eyes the change was instantaneous. The blue circles disappeared and the skin of the baby turned healthy pink. She coughed and taking a deep breath emited a scream that made their ears ringing. Then the usual baby cry followed and Lycanor gifted the baby back to his mother, "I think she is hungry!"

The woman was beyond herself with joy and shouted, "I will name her Lycanora!"

'_Lycanora?!'_ Miranda just couldn't stop herself from teasing and she could tell the others felt the same from the teasing smiles of the Wraith.

He gave her a naughty mental smirk, _'That's the name of half of the female babies in the City. I can't stop them from giving that name to their offspring, can I?'_

Lycanor just smiled to the crowd and went with Lira and her father on his heels at the house that was the local temple. He performed several more healings of sick humans and then retreated in the house so they could speak with Liyn.

When they were inside, Lira served them a glass with some sweet red juice and with a final smile to Lycanor who was watching her, she went to do her work in the kitchen leaving them and her father to talk.

Lycanor looked seriously at Liyn, "So tell me about the Demons. When will they come for the next group of offerings?"

Liyn bowled respectfully "Three days ago their messenger came in a flying ship and said that after four days – that's tomorrow morning he will come to take two thousand men. So far they have requested only groups of three hundred or a thousand but now…"

Miranda frowned and asked "Did the Demons take women or children?"

Liyn again bowled deeply "Only in the first month they took two women and three children then they stopped doing it and requested only men"

'_So Michael is building an army'_

"How many Demons are coming for the offerings?" inquired Alarick, obviously he has realized the same thing as Miranda.

"In the beginning they were coming in batches but now comes only one with a ship that produces light and people disappeared in that light. Then he is flying to the sky" Liyn was eager to give information and his whole presence radiated bliss that his God is in his house.

'_This means the base where Michael is making his soldier__s is not so far away to require a cruiser with hyper drive. That's how he found that world – he has traveling in that remote and unpopulated corner of the Galaxy stumbling upon a treasure – a planet with plenty of humans'_, mused Miranda, sharing her thoughts with the other Wraith,

'_When he__ captured Teyla he told her when she has accused him of killing all these people that there is more from where they came and can be replenished' _

After Liyn explained everything he was dismissed and all the Wraith looked at her.

Miranda sighed, _'Sometimes I wonder how the Wraith Queens keep their laughter from been surrounded by so many expecting orders males!'_

_

* * *

  
_

The dart hovered over the clearing spot on the meadow that bordered that City's fields. Liyn was waving at the ship and two thousand volunteers from the City were standing nearby.

Obviously even a brainwashed hybrid that was piloting the dart stopped to see why Liyn is so agitated before he does the culling. That was what Miranda plan was counting on. The cloaked Jumper quickly decloaked and fired a series of laser shots at the unsuspecting dart.

The organic vessel hit the marshy ground with a loud whining sound and according to the Jimper's scan the pilot didn't even had a time to send a distressed code.

The rest of the plan performed easy after the first and crucial point.

They captured the dart and managed to repair its damages powering it with the Jumper's energy cells and Alarick offered to pilot it. He found the location of Michael's lab in the dart's computer and as Miranda had suspected it was only an hour away – the forth planet of the system.

Lycanor hugged Lira and waved at the volunteers and entered in the Jumper. He has decided to go with them to help stopping Michael.

The two ships headed to the sky, leaving behind the atmosphere of the planet and into the open space.

Miranda was silent during the trip worrying about Alarick, about something going wrong but she knew there was no other choice.

* * *

The sneaking in the base was easy – the code was in the dart's computer and there were no orbital defenses. In the bay dock only one hybrid was waiting and he was quickly stunned and then tied by Alarick's soldiers. One of them was left to guard the two ships and the rest went to find what experiments were performing in the lab.

For her surprise in the whole base there were only three hybrids including the one that was stunned. When they found the main computer terminal she understood why.

Michael has made miracles combining Wraith and Earth technologies. This lab was an automatic factory that was producing thousands of his soldiers for a short period – only a month.

There was meticulously written data with dates of experiments, the killed and the successful ones. From what she could tell the people from Lycanor's world were something like a control group so to be seen the progress of the real test subjects from other worlds. But now after the process was perfected they were going to be turned into hybrids and the women and children killed because turning them was wasting of recourses.

'_So Michael is turning only males because they are ideal for soldiers. I wonder is he planning in the future to breed his new stock… Is that why he is leaving on the poisoned worlds the survived population?'_

She felt ill when she read about the hundreds of worlds that supplied that lab. Michael hadn't relied only on this planet but has culled much more. The scale of the genocide was monstrous. Just one of seven humans was a successful hybrid the others were killed by the gene experiment. And this was at this stage when the gene treatment was elaborated, on the early stages from the recording a year ago the death toll has been one of a hundred.

There were mentions for three other bases and when counting the number of produced soldiers she felt her hair lift up. More than a million humans had died in the last year not because the Wraith were hungry but to satisfy the need of revenge of the former Wraith.

Lycanor and Alarick went and released the control group of nearly four thousand people and she could tell Lycanor was glad to see them safe and sound.

According to the lab logs a Hive was coming to transport the new batches of hybrid soldiers to a place called The Gathering Point.

She and Alarick agreed that Michael is nearly completed building his army and is on the verge of something big.

'_Is this the begging of his Galaxy Conquest Davos showed me?!'_ she wondered and Alarick interrupted her musings,

'_How are we going to capture a Hive? There must have been at least a hundred of hybrids to maintain and operate a Hive?'_ he sounded doubtful and she could tell he was worrying about her and her upset of the numbers of victims.

Miranda released the hand-pads that navigated into the Wraith computer and looked at the ceiling-tall organic container that was standing in the center of the chamber. The tube was full with bubbling drug that when injected in human's body was turning it into a hybrid. To the tube were attached thousands of organic pipes that have to insert in the humans.

The drug for the big organic container was produced automatically from the lab's devices.

Miranda stared for a few moments at the container and something was stirring in her head. She hasn't felt so agitated from the moment when she executed the mercenary Lort a few moths ago.

Alarick sensed her anger and carefully touched her mind,

'_What is wrong?'_

She clenched her fists and turned her back to the annoying container, facing the Wraith,

'_When the Atlantis Expedition came to that Galaxy Doctor Beckett believed that Wraith are just sick humans that have been bitten by the Iratus Bug and thanks to the neglect of the Ancients and their Seeding Program they haven't been found and cured till it became too late and the Wraith emerged in space!'_ she told him and Alarick felt his eyes widened in amazement to these misbelieved theories of the Earth's Lanteans.

'_Then they found the Hoffan World – a planet that has barely begun its industrial development but with one unique feature – one of the Hoffans has evolved enough to have a gene that produces an enzyme that prevents the Wraith from feeding upon humans. Beckett has been eager to help in synthesizing that gene – something they wouldn't__ be able to do in the next four hundred years. He's done it for a couple of weeks and then the shit has hit fan as Sheppard would said. They tested it on a captured Wraith and really he couldn't feed. But…'_

She started crossing the floor in agitated pace,

'_the Wraith died an hour after his attempt to feed upon the infected human volunteer and Hoffans without our consent injected all of their population with that drug killing every second person. Doctor Weir abandoned the project because our goal has been not to kill the Wraith but to cure them from that disease. Two years later Beckett has been sure he has perfected the therapy that will strip the Wraith from their genes and turned them into humans. That's how Michael was created. With good intentions that lead us to Hell…'_

She stopped her pacing and looked at Alarick,

'_I haven't felt so full of anger even when I had to execute Lorn for his crimes. I felt __pity for the Replicators because they were the product of my predecessor's shortsighness but Michael is something entirely different. _

_He had__ a chance to start everything anew with Teyla and to learn from our mistakes. But no, her love and the fact she is pregnant with his child are insignificant. More important for him is the quest for dominance. He is doing the same deeds like us but in a scale we haven't even dare to think. He is becoming what he is fighting against. _

_Davos was right. I can't sit and watch how Michael is chasing into extinction the Wraith and turning the Human Race into brainwashed mindless puppet soldiers. Things are not set in stone. _

_Sheppard won't be the Last Man of our kind because of our leniency towards Michael. He must be stopped and even killed. _

_And do you know what?' _

This time he saw how her eyes became cold and her stare reminded him of the Queen's look when she was ready to kill,

'_After what he has done he has become our Enemy. And I feel no sympathy for the Enemy'_

Alarick felt chills running in his mind when the well known of every Wraith words from The Law of the War sounded in his head.

* * *

Note: reviews, comments, criticism and ideas are welcome:)


	30. Chapter 30 Search and Rescue

Turning Point Chapter 30 Search and Rescue

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis

Warning: contains spoilers for season 5

I want to thank Morgimir, SGA-Seven, samurai89, Melior, lymbis for the reviews. You are great! Thank you:)

* * *

Miranda took a deep breath and faced the five Wraith standing before the computer's console.

'_I can't believe how they agreed to be commanded…If they were humans or human scientists we should've spent the last three days arguing which way to go on and we should've been still in that forest.'_

She measured their eager stand to be noticed, the not so hidden ambition of the Lieutenant to overthrow Alarick and take his place and she has to work hard not to laugh at that display of boldness,

'_Wraith's hierarchy must be very dynamic…' _

"Everything is ready for the coming Hive, I assume?" she asked and closed the computer program.

"The teleport beams have been adjusted on long range and the canisters with the drug have been dispatched in the teleport chambers!" reported Alarick and she smiled approvingly,

"Then we are ready. What about you Commander?" Miranda looked at Lycanor,

"All of my people have been loaded in the dart's cargo and I am ready to go", he responded.

She could sense his desire to come with them and help them but she had pointed that if he comes with them his people will be stuck in the base and if her plan fails and Michael returns they will be killed. So Lycanor have to go back to the planet with the rescued people and try to organize resistance if Michael wins.

Probing his long unused to be shielded mind, only proved the rightness of her decision to send him back. This Wraith was coming with them out of loyalty but what he really longed was to be with Lira – his beloved.

"Then I can I only wish you good bye and to hope we will see again some day, Lycanor." He was dismissed with a slight nod and the sound of his leather coat echoed in the silent lab.

When the lab's doors closed after him she looked again at Alarick,

"And the hybrids?"

"All heavily sedated and secured in the stasis pods"

Miranda reattached the portable computer pad from the console and grinned at the Wraith,

"Then let's go and serve that _lovely_ surprise to the ship"

The Wraith grinned back showing four sets of fangs.

* * *

The Hive emerged from the hyperspace just beside the planetary atmosphere and as Miranda expected sent the order the new batches of soldiers to be delivered.

'_No greetings, no saying Hello'_, she has explained to the bewildered Wraith when the Lieutenant has objected her plan pointing that they will be discovered at the first time the captain of the coming ship wish to speak with the commander of the base, _'that is Michael's Order to his minions. They are just tools at this stage of their mind programming and they act according to his Orders. And I bet the video greeting is not amongst the things set in their minds'_

From the open bay's hangers on planet's base a single dart took off and rocketed through the air with a loud whine. For seconds the ship reached the space and headed to the Hive.

Suddenly the dart changed its course and flew straight at the upper section of the Hive, emitting a bright ray at the Hive's organic structure and then making an elaborate turn and heading to the cargo bay.

In the cloaked Jumper that has been at one hand distance during the whole time, Miranda and Alarick exchanged smiles. She knew that he and the other Wraith had sensed the panic telepathic signals coming from the Hive.

Jumper's holo screen was showing the quick changes that were happening inside the Hive.

She tracked the amazing speed with which the gas was distributed by the Wraith life support system.

'_It's really astounding that organic technology. Easy to build and self repairing…'_

"Your plan worked" announced Alarick, practically beaming with satisfaction. She took a look at his sparkling like polished gold eyes and fought an impulse to grasp his long hair, knocked him on the Jumper's floor and have fun in the next few hours.

'_I received from him for a day what an average woman gets from her husband for ten years marriage and without the cooking and cleaning the house part that always goes with the marriage's life!' _She still couldn't believe how Alarick has performed in their sexual encounter on the planet,

'_But I suppose that has to be expected. All quickie Wraith males that couldn't stand to Queen's demand__s in bed hasn't been left to live long enough to sire offspring and only the tireless ones have been strong enough to procreate and that line has become dominant in all Wraith males'_

She tasted the memory of Alarick panting explanations of her wonder about that mystery behind his endurance while she was making teasing licks at one his most sensitive spots below his belt.

'_Why Davos has to contact me so soon? After all the Galaxy could wait another few days!'_ she suppressed a sigh and kept her desire to explore again the endurance of his Wraith's body.

'_Alright, I have to stop drooling after him …at least till we could find a place without two curious Wraith watching us'_

A first thing first was to give the thumbs up to the pilot of the dart. Miranda sent a telepathic approval to the Lieutenant, who was piloting the dart,

'_Good work, Lieutenant.'_

Her words were met with the mental equivalent of wide smirk and playful pinch on her butt. Miranda almost jumped in her seat shutting the link and catching the Alarick's quizzical look.

"Just couldn't find a seat from the excitement" she said and he continued to monitor the progress of the drug in the Hive.

When she was sure he hasn't noticed anything she again focused on the insolent Wraith,

'_I think you and I have to talk when this is over, Lieutenant and make some improvements on your manners'_

She didn't wait to receive another _smart_ answer and tried to remain in touch with what was happening in the Hive.

* * *

She has seen the videos of the Hive targeted with the retrovirus when Michael's Hive has attempted heading to the Earth and now she was seeing the same scenes – motionless bodies, although they haven't been targeted with the retro virus but with a very powerful sedative.

By Alarick's order his warriors started dragging the bodies to the transport chamber and his Lieutenant flying them to the base.

Miranda quickly found the Command Centre and the computer. According to the logs this Hive has a mission to collect the new soldiers and transport them to the coordinates ordered by Michael. She searched at the last data and frowned,

'_Hm…'_ she must have made a sound because Alarick immediately looked at her,

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She gave him a sign to come closer and felt his body slightly touching her back,

"Here…" she pointed at the data on the holo screen, "this is the log of all the traveling of this Hive in the last two years. As you can see up till two weeks ago the ship has been traveling in a routine schedule obviously patrolling a Hive territory…"

He looked at the data, "I noticed the signs of one of the lesser Queens in the major Alliance but I wasn't sure." He seemed worried, "How is possible for Michael to be able to capture a ship of this class so soon? This Queen was relatively old and very experienced to be an easy target?"

"And from what I can tell this is not the only one Hive he has captured" she said scrolling through the files, "But what is more interesting is the last missions of this ship and the recorded logs of encounters with other ships of Michael's new Fleet…" Miranda opened few new screens and the room suddenly was lit by the space map of Pegasus Galaxy.

The door of the chamber opened and the Lieutenant and the other two warriors entered in the hall. She knew they have accomplished their task and that Alarick quickly has briefed them of the current data. The Lieutenant's self importance was like a beacon,

'_If I was a Wraith his boldness would look very attractive but I love Alarick so …'_ she glanced at the object of her thoughts who was throwing contemplating stares at his subordinate, '_making a threesome is not an option'_ she concluded and tried to suppress a smile.

"As your Commander has informed you" she said out loud managing her best _'science'_ face expression, "this Hive has been captured and used by Michael to dispatch his soldiers at various battlefields in the territories of at least two different Wraith factions."

She pointed at the dozens marked in green worlds on the virtual map,

"What is more interesting is all the other ships in Michael's Fleet have been doing the same – transporting troops and delivering the Hoffan's poison to many worlds. All except two of the captured Hives and one cruiser", she marked the three ships in the logs and they lit in red. "These two Hives and a cruiser have been stationed at the last month around a moon base in this quadrant", the place lit in blue and she continued sensing the attention of the Wraith,

"And this is the list of supplies that have been delivered to the stationed in orbit ships by the rest of his Fleet. Do you notice anything interesting?"

Miranda looked at the bewildered Wraith faces and Alarick voiced out the obvious fact,

"No soldiers have been transported to these two ships. Only human food and …" he made a pause and Miranda finished,

"…. one human subject, female. Which makes me believe this may be Teyla from the timing of the delivery. And what is more interesting is _why _Michael is not with the rest of his Fleet in his vengeance against the Wraith. After all he could do all of his experiments on the ship. What is so important to be on that backward moon in the middle of no populated system?"

The Lieutenant looked at her_, _"Building a weapon?"

Miranda just nodded,

"That's a very good theory. And it sticks with the rest of his actions. His Fleet is creating havoc among the Wraith, killing their food and driving the factions into severe battles for the still edible humans, making them isolated and vulnerable for conquest. But what is more curious he is sitting in one place lone enough so the spies of his enemies could see him and inform Atlantis of his whereabouts", she has to admit Michael was thinking one step ahead of the rest of Wraith and human population of this Galaxy,

"He has captured Teyla not only because he needs their child to finish his little project but to draw his major enemy into a trap. Because he may hates his kind but his hatred is nothing compared to the loath he has against Atlantis", she told them and then hesitated for a moment,

"If my assumption is correct he is deliberately allowing his enemies to know his location so he could focus on his main goal – Atlantis. That's why he has chosen this distant moon for his base – this world is a day away from Atlantis even with Deadalus hyperdrive. Time enough for a battle. He is counting on the fact that we don't leave our people behind and Carter will continue to search and rescue Teyla using Deadalus in that mission instead of guarding Atlantis. So he could freely attack the City…" she knew that her theories were too thin based only on the data from a few computer logs but the Wraith looked impressed like she had a solid proof for her statements. If they were her science colleagues this would be the moment to start a debate about the loose points in her suggestion that would last till someone decided to give up.

'_To be a Queen must have been similar – she is acting relaying on her intuition and desire to co__mpete with the other females rather than on real facts.' _

"I have no idea what Michael is planning to do once he is at Atlantis. The City is not defenseless but so far he has shown to be creative. We have to go to his base and find out before he is ready to deploy his plan."

Her words were met with a telepathic agreement.

'_What if I am wrong?'_ she wondered but didn't voice it out loud.

* * *

"Wow!" she exclaimed looking around the vast chamber. Enormous view screens were on the place of one of the walls and she could see the amazing beauty of the space. Billions of stars were sparkling over the blue atmosphere of the planet.

Alarick was smiling still standing at the entrance of the Queen's chambers.

'_Michael hasn't even changed the decoration of the captured Hive'_ she thought looking at the opened door of the Queen's wardrobe. The wardrobe was actually a detached chamber full of elaborate fabric gowns, shoes and piles of leather clothes. The walls of the chamber were made from polished organic structure that closely resembled the human mirrors.

She picked a red leather top that consisted only from a small piece of leather and many straps for the back and shoulders. Looking the fancy cloth in the mirror she couldn't resist and quickly undressed her vest and top of the uniform.

'_I am sure the Queen wouldn't mind…'_

The mini top was extravagantly wonderful, emphasizing her pale skin and light hair.

And was in sharp contrast with her uniform trousers and boots.

She turned around and walked back in the main chamber looking at the organic walls and high ceiling and then at the organic bed. _This _was a piece of art. Elegantly made on a podium so wide than six people could sleep in it. She stepped closer and touched the bed sheets.

'_Ha! They are not organic! I knew it!__'_ she giggled plunging a hand over the soft linen, _'I wonder where the laundry is'_

She felt his hands trailing a path on the line of her spine and then Alarick's thoughts in her mind,

'_If you were a Wraith female this'_, he unlocked her belt and she felt his hand fondling her back under the belt, _'would be extremely erotic, even …'_, this time another hand joined the other under the leather top on her nipple, _'romantic gesture by human standards'_

She caught his hand and kept it on her breasts as he helped her undressed her pants and boots, while her other hand grasped another particular erotic place of his anatomy. She heard his moan and felt the slight shaking of his fingers,

'_Oh?! And _this …_?'_ her hold tightened and this time his trembling were almost visible, _'what is the Wraith equivalent of? Love, desire, invitation…?! ' _

His amused chuckle sounder in her ears,

'_Actually …__'_

He turned her and she faced his dilated irises. Their kiss was like a hurricane and she could feel the sharp fangs on her lower lip while his tongue was toying with hers. He took a hold of her legs and with a swift movement lifted them up and opened wide, moving his body between her thighs. She clutched her legs on his back and her arms over his neck.

For a second he jumped still holding her tight to the view screen and she sensed the cool organic surface on her back. He was carrying her like she was light as a feather, demonstrating his strength. He broke the kiss and she looked at his eyes trying to find her breath,

'_It is a mark of choice'_ he said at last.

"What?!" she voiced her question.

"That's a mark of choice", he repeated while undoing the belt of his pants, "When the Queen has chosen a male for breeding the offspring she made that gesture…", Miranda was speechless by his statement and the sound of his belt hitting the organic floor was followed by the sound of the lowered zip of his pants, passed by her ears, "and that is something extremely attractive for the chosen male, it drives him nearly insane that he has been prized to sire warriors even a Queen if he is found worthy in Her eyes."

His hold on her legs tightened and he pressed her against the organic window,

"For months I imagined how I will show you my quarters", his coarse voice and cool breath fondled her ear, while she was grasping his shoulders, "And this is how I imagined we will do it", Miranda bit his neck, moaning with pleasure, listening his words, "Now we have a whole day to fulfill my fantasy"

'_Screwing with a __handsome Wraith against the front window of Queen's quarters and playing the main female role in his sexual fantasies…'_ she thought feeling the ecstasy sweeping in her body, _'I begin to like this Galaxy!' _

He chuckled in answer to her thoughts.

They didn't notice when the Hive jumped into the Hyperspace too busy with more important things.

* * *

_Hours Later _

Miranda plunged a finger over the cool skin tracing the elaborate tattoos and muscles. Her move was followed by a low moan and she looked up at the source of that sound.

Alarick was grinning at her and she thought he looked absolutely wonderful,

"You look like the ultimate eye-candy, do you know?" she told him and bit the cool flesh of his lean stomach, surprising him,

"Are you ready again to please me, oh, you Mighty One? We have four hours to test your endurance in games", she teased him looking at his naked body and tied arms.

During the last one of the many games they have played she has tied his hands to the posts of the organic bed and had teased him what a powerful Wraith he is and how defenseless she is.

He has liked the game and she suspected that a Queen always had the upper hand in her relationships.

He was ready, again, and obviously eager to do what she wants so she decided some waiting will be a good idea. She bit for the last time his flat stomach and then got up and untied his hands. He glanced at her with raised eye ridges,

"I am ready!" his voice sounded coarser with desire.

She smirked, "I know…but …" she grasped his hand and he followed her to the attached bathroom, "the candy always tastes better when it's being anticipated longer…"

The Queen's bathroom was like the wet dream of a teenager – a bath with the size of a small lake, mirror surfaces on the walls and ceiling, lots of lights and some fancy shampoos she has barely inspected the last time they have used it.

Miranda got in the bath and threw him a playful look, "I think you know what to do"

Alarick's grin widened while taking a sponge and spreading some scented shampoo on it. Carefully he started to soap her legs, making teasing approaches higher and higher.

She glanced at his glistening wet hands and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations of his touch. The warm water and pleasant aromas relaxed her to the point of almost sleepy state.

'_I must have been tired without sleep but thanks to the numerous feedings I am full of strength…'_ she thought, feeling his hands on her soapy toes.

Now as she wasn't directly occupied with sex, more sex and ideas of how to fuck him even more, her thoughts drifted aimlessly. But a thing was rankling at the back doors of her mind and she knew what it is.

Something with this sudden rise to power of Michael didn't seem right. She has wondered from the moment Davos showed her the future but was too preoccupied with questions how to get out of that planet to rip it up.

'_How Micheal so fast has succeeded in modifying the Hoffan's drug? Even with Becketts's memories from the mind probing he still was light years away from the present success in genetic engineering. And what about his other plans – if she was correct to assume – to attack Atlantis? With the common Wraith weapons to attack the City would be just wasting of resources and time. So why was he heading into that way? What he hoped to gain?'_

She felt the hands and sponge on her breasts, realizing she has black out for few minutes the teasing actions of Alarick with her body. He has joined her in the bath and was now nibbling her ear while his hands were doing their magic.

Suddenly the image of the mercenary Lort and his words about the former Genii hit her. Neemo Goen has come to Lort bringing an Ancient _activated_ personal shield…..

She sat up straight in the bath, splashing waves of soapy water and dragging the surprised Alarick with her.

He glanced at her, "Don't tell me more waiting will be even better for the taste of the candy!"

She looked at his irritated eyes, "No! It's not that! Just I've got an idea…" he made a face thinking her idea involves him being tied and teased for hours, "..No I don't plan such things. I've just realized something Lort has told me!"

Alarick was completely taken aback, "The stinking human mercenary from New Athos? What about him?"

"Well, he told us that the former Genii Goen has brought him the Ancient personal shield. The same Genii that has hired Lort to capture the Athosians and then taken them through the Stargate" she noticed his questioning look,

"The same Athosians that have so unique genetic patterns. Genes extremely useful in Michael's project of creating the perfect hybrid. Goen has been working for Michael the whole time. But that is not the most important thing…"she clenched the soapy sponge,

"The key in that puzzle is that the device has been activated _before_ being put on a human with some Lantean blood. I should've noticed it the moment I killed that man in the forest but was distracted. If the man with Lantean gene has really activated the shield as Lort told me it must have been set on the main program of the shield – to defend his owner. But I killed him and the shield didn't stop me…" he was still looking uncertain at her not sure where her logic was leading them,

"Don't you see? The shield has been deliberately put to option to shield the presence from humans like Teyla who can sense Lort's soldiers. I guess Michael wanted to be sure Teyla and the rest of the Athosians will be captured easily and not be alerted. And this means that the man I killed hasn't been the one who activated the shield. He couldn't even switch it on a defense mood when I attacked him. Which means Michael is working with someone with enough Lantean genes _and _knowledge willing to help him!" she threw the sponge on the floor and stood up, "He has a partner!"

Alarick was really surprised, "That explains how Michael got his hands on working fully charged Ancient device… and how he has succeeded in modifying so fast the Hoffan's enzyme. I know that with the Lantean machines genetic manipulations could be easily done and applied to test subjects…"

"Exactly! And the question is what other Lantean technologies Michael is using for his plan…"

He sighed and she looked at him, "What?"

He playfully plunged his finger on her belly, "I guess that also means we have to stop having fun and start thinking about Michael's possible weapons?"

She smiled, "I didn't say that…" and quickly jumped back in the bath.

* * *

Note: reviews, ideas, comments, criticism, suggestions are welcomed:)


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